Learn a Chinese Character - 未 (wèi) - Not Yet

1. Character Basics (基本信息)

Radical: 木 (wood radical)

Stroke Count: 5

Character Decomposition: 一 + 木 (with the top horizontal line not fully connecting) (one above a wood radical with a slightly different form)

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation (发音)

Pinyin: wèi (fourth tone)

3. Meaning (含义)

未 generally means "not yet" or "have not". It can be used to express the negation of an action or a state that is expected to happen in the future but hasn't occurred yet.

4. Common Words (常用词汇)

• 未来 (wèi lái) - future
• 未必 (wèi bì) - not necessarily
• 尚未 (shàng wèi) - not yet

5. Grammar & Usage (语法与用法)

未 is an adverb, often used before a verb to indicate that the action has not been completed. For example, 我未吃饭 (I haven't eaten) is a more classical or formal way of saying it compared to the more common 我还没吃饭.

6. Cultural Background (文化背景)

In traditional Chinese culture, 未 is also one of the Twelve Earthly Branches, used in the Chinese calendar and in divination. It represents the period from 13:00 - 15:00 in the afternoon.

7. Example Sentence (例句)

8. Memory Tips (记忆技巧)

Think of 未 as a slightly modified 木. The incomplete top line can be seen as a sign that something is "not yet" fully formed, just like the meaning of the character.