JLPT N4 · Japanese kanji

不

不 — negative

Reading
フ・ブ
Meaning
negative; non-; bad; ugly; clumsy
JLPT level
N4
Language
Japanese

About this kanji

不 is a japanese kanji character commonly studied at the JLPT N4 level. Its primary reading is フ・ブ and it means negative; non-; bad; ugly; clumsy. To master it, see it in real Japanese content — import an article or YouTube video into InputDojo and every occurrence becomes a one-tap lookup.

不 appears in everyday japanese words such as 不 (un), 不便 (inconvenience; inconvenient) and 不吉 (ominous).

Japanese words containing 不

Frequently asked questions

What does 不 mean in Japanese?

不 means negative; non-; bad; ugly; clumsy in Japanese. It is one of the JLPT N4 kanji every learner meets at that level.

How is 不 read?

不 is read フ・ブ. Reading it inside real words — 不 and 不便 and more — is the fastest way to remember it.

What level is 不 — is it JLPT N4?

Yes. 不 is on the official JLPT N4 kanji list, so it can appear in that exam's reading and vocabulary sections.

How do you use 不 in a word?

A common word containing 不 is 不 (ぶ) — "un". More examples are listed below, each with a one-tap dictionary entry.

How do I learn 不 effectively?

Read it in context. Import any Japanese article or video into InputDojo and every occurrence of 不 becomes a one-tap lookup with SRS flashcards, so you meet it in real sentences instead of a list.

More JLPT N4 kanji

Learn every JLPT kanji in context

InputDojo gives you the full JLPT N5–N1 kanji list — plus one-tap lookups in any real Japanese content. Free to start.

Start free