無

無 icon

no, none

無 depicts a gracefully dancing shaman holding feather ornaments. The original meaning of 無 was dance, but this sense was later replaced by the character 舞. In ancient times, dance was not pure entertainment but a ritual for communicating with the gods. The dancer regarded himself as the vessel and embodiment of the divine spirit in the human world. Therefore, 無 carries the meaning of emptiness or void, and is interpreted as “not having” or “nothing.”

Vocabulary of 無

  • 無人 (unmanned)
  • 無限 (unlimited)
  • 虛無 (nothingness)

Related Characters: