Meaning
未 is a formal literary negation adverb meaning 'not yet' or 'not'. It's more formal and classical than 没 or 没有, and appears frequently in written Chinese, formal announcements, legal documents, and set phrases. It typically precedes verbs to indicate an action that has not occurred.
Usage
未 is primarily used in formal written contexts, news reports, official documents, and classical Chinese. In everyday speech, people prefer 没 or 没有. It's common in set phrases like 未来 (future) and 未必 (not necessarily), and in formal negations like 未完成 (not completed) or 未知 (unknown).
Examples
- 01此事未完，我们明天继续讨论。, .This matter is not finished; we'll continue discussing it tomorrow.
- 02他的计划未经批准就开始实施了。.His plan was implemented before receiving approval.
Common collocations
- 未来future
- 未必not necessarily
- 未知unknown
- 前途未卜uncertain future
Antonyms
Origin
未 originally depicted the top part of a tree with lush branches not yet fully grown, symbolizing something incomplete or not yet realized. This pictographic origin evolved into the abstract meaning of negation for uncompleted actions.