毋 (wú) - Do not & must not

毋Tone 2

wú ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 毋

万响

毋 · wú

Do not;

must not;

no;

not;

a negative prohibitive particle;

also used as a surname.

Do notmust notno

Usage highlights

Do notMust notDo not doNo needWu surnameAbsolutely not

Synonyms

  • 勿— do not (classical prohibitive)
  • 不— not (general negative)
  • 莫— do not (prohibitive)

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Do not enter (毋入).
  • It must not be like this (毋得如此).
  • He is surnamed Wu (他姓毋).

Collocations

  • Do not(毋)
  • Must not(毋得)
  • Do not do(毋为)
  • No need(毋须)
  • Wu surname(毋姓)
  • Absolutely not(毋宁)

Idioms

  • No peace of mind(毋宁)
  • Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you(己所不欲，毋施于人)
  • No need to say more(毋须多言)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used as a negative prohibitive in classical Chinese, equivalent to modern 勿 or 不要.
  • Also functions as a rare surname with historical roots in various Chinese regions.

FAQ