Japanese symbol for “nil”
無
む
Romaji: mu
nothing; naught; nought; nil
In Japanese, nil is 無, read む (mu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n nothing; naught; nought; nil; zero
- pref un-; non-
Written forms: 無、无. Readings: む.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “nil”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 皆無 | かいむ kaimu | nonexistent; nil; none |
| 絶無 | ぜつむ zetsumu | nothing; nil; naught |
| ０ | ゼロ zero | zero; 0; nought |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 無料 | むりょう muryou | free (of charge); gratuitous |
| 無理 | むり muri | unreasonable; unnatural; unjustifiable |
| 無事 | ぶじ buji | safety; security; peace |
| 無駄 | むだ muda | futility; waste; uselessness |
| 無線 | むせん musen | radio (communication) |
| 無理やり | むりやり muriyari | forcibly; by force; against one's will |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.