8th earthly branch: 1-3 p.m., 6th solar month (7th July-6th August), year of the Sheep
HSK 6, d, 5 strokes, radical 木, rank #1161, Hard
未
wèi
not yet; 8th terrestrial branch
HSK 6, d, 5 strokes, radical 木, rank #1161, Hard
未
wèi
ancient Chinese compass point: 210°
HSK 6, unknown, 5 strokes, radical 木, rank #1161, Hard
wèi(wei4) T4
1not yet
2did not
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March 24, 2026
未wèi(wei4)
The character 未 (wèi) primarily means 'not yet' or 'have not' and is often used to indicate that something has not occurred at a certain point in time. It can also refer to the eighth earthly branch in the Chinese zodiac, associated with the year of the Sheep, and denotes a specific time period in the day and month.
Strokes5Radical木Frequency#1161DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of time and auspiciousness is significant, and the association of 未 with the year of the Sheep reflects traits like gentleness and peace, which are culturally valued.
Memory Tip
Think of 未 as a 'waiting' sign, with the open top resembling a person with arms raised in anticipation. The pronunciation 'wèi' can remind you of 'wait,' emphasizing that something is yet to happen.
Meanings of 未
wèi(wei4)
1not yet
2did not
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 未
未Simplified
5Strokes
木Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1161Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 未
Podcast: 未
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AI Study Notes for 未
Memory Mnemonic
Think of 未 as a 'waiting' sign, with the open top resembling a person with arms raised in anticipation. The pronunciation 'wèi' can remind you of 'wait,' emphasizing that something is yet to happen.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 未 with its antonym 已 (yǐ), which means 'already.' This character is more commonly used in informal contexts, particularly in everyday conversation and writing, rather than formal settings.
HSK Study Tips
Though 未 is not categorized under a specific HSK level, it connects with concepts like 'already' (已) and 'yet' (还, hái) that learners encounter at HSK 2 and 3. Focus on its use in sentences to express future actions or states.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of time and auspiciousness is significant, and the association of 未 with the year of the Sheep reflects traits like gentleness and peace, which are culturally valued.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 未 in contexts where 已 (yǐ) should be used, like saying '我未吃午饭' when they mean 'I have already eaten lunch.' The correct form is '我已经吃午饭.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 未
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Grammar Patterns of 未
未 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Many students are not adequately prepared for higher education.
9
你一直在无目的地更换工作，从未真正投入进去。
nǐ yī zhí zài wú mù de dì gēng huàn gōng zuò， ， cóng wèi zhēn zhèng tóu rù jìn。
You'vebeen drifting from job to job without any real commitment.
10
他从未从你哥哥去世的打击中恢复过来。
tā cóng wèi cóng nǐ gē gē qù shì de dǎ jī zhōng huī fù guò lái。
He has never recovered from the shock of your brother's death.
Cultural Notes for 未
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of time and auspiciousness is significant, and the association of 未 with the year of the Sheep reflects traits like gentleness and peace, which are culturally valued.
Word Family of 未
Compounds21
味wei4taste
妹mei4younger sister
朱Zhu1cinnabar, vermilion; surname
魅mei4demon
昧mei4to conceal
寐mei4sleep; asleep
眛
抺
剺
嫠li2widow
斄
沬
犛
耒lei3plow
靺
佅
怽
祙
苿
跊
鮇
Words Containing This Character20
未wèinot yet
未来wèiláifuture未來
从未cóngwèinever從未
尚未shàngwèinot yet
未能cannot
未婚妻fiancée
未婚夫fiancé
未经wèijīngnot having undergone未經
未必wèibìmaybe not
未知unknown
前所未有qiánsuǒwèiyǒuunprecedented
未成年人wèichéngniánrénminor (i.e. person under 18)
未曾hasn't ever
未婚unmarried
未遂unsuccessful (attempt)
未免wèimiǎnunavoidably
未了unfinished
未知数wèizhīshùunknown quantity未知數
悬而未决pending a decision懸而未決
未雨绸缪to prepare for a rainy day未雨綢繆
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 味 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 未
In Chinese culture, 未 (wèi) not only denotes a specific time during the day but also has astrological significance, particularly relating to the year of the Sheep. It is also associated with certain compass directions in ancient Chinese navigation.
未 (wèi) and 还没 (hái méi) both express that something has not happened yet, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 未 is more formal and can be used in literary contexts, while 还没 is more commonly used in everyday conversation.
未 (wèi) has several meanings in Chinese. It can mean 'not yet,' 'did not,' or 'have not.' Additionally, it represents the 8th earthly branch associated with the time period of 1-3 p.m. and the year of the Sheep.
未 (wèi) is often used to indicate an action that has not yet occurred. For example, in the sentence '我未吃午饭' (Wǒ wèi chī wǔfàn), which means 'I have not eaten lunch yet.' It highlights the incompleteness of the action.
You can use 未 to indicate something that hasn't happened yet, like in '我未完成作业' (Wǒ wèi wánchéng zuòyè) meaning 'I have not completed my homework.'
未 is generally more common in informal contexts and conversational Chinese, so in formal writing, you might consider using 已经 (yǐjīng) for 'already' instead.
未 is associated with the eighth earthly branch in the Chinese zodiac, specifically linked to the year of the Sheep.
