adjective HSK 5
Traditional 無義
meaningless · without significance · pointless · senseless

Meaning

无义 means 'without meaning' or 'meaningless.' It combines 无 (without) and 义 (meaning/righteousness/significance) to describe something that lacks purpose, significance, or rational sense. It's often used in philosophical, literary, or critical contexts to describe actions, discussions, or things that serve no real purpose.

Usage

This is a somewhat formal or literary term used in written language and serious discussions. It's more common to hear 没意义 (méi yìyì) in everyday conversation for 'meaningless.' 无义 appears frequently in academic writing, literary criticism, and philosophical texts when discussing the fundamental lack of meaning in something.

Examples

  1. 01
    这种无义的争论只会浪费时间。
    Zhè zhǒng de zhēnglùn zhǐ huì làngfèi shíjiān.
    This kind of meaningless argument will only waste time.
  2. 02
    他认为没有目标的生活是无义的。
    rènwéi méiyǒu mùbiāo de shēnghuó shì de.
    He believes that life without goals is meaningless.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 无义之争
    zhī zhēng
    meaningless dispute
  • 无义的讨论
    de tǎolùn
    meaningless discussion

Antonyms

Origin

Classical construction combining 无 (without) with 义 (meaning/righteousness), a pattern common in literary Chinese for expressing negation of abstract concepts.

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