毫无

• Pinyin: háo wú
• Hanzi breakdown: 毫 = 高 (tall) + 毛 (hair) — tiniest measure; 无 = 无 (negation)

Meaning

Completely without; not the slightest bit of. Used to intensify the total absence of something.

A strong negation pattern that emphasises the complete lack of something — emotion, evidence, progress, etc. Always precedes a noun or noun phrase. Common in formal writing, argument, and criticism.

Examples

1. 他对这件事毫无兴趣，根本不想参与。 He has absolutely no interest in this and doesn’t want to get involved at all.
2. 警方调查后发现毫无证据支持那项指控。 After investigating, the police found absolutely no evidence to support the allegation.
3. 她毫无准备地走上台，结果表现得一塌糊涂。 She went on stage completely unprepared and ended up performing terribly.

Usage Guide

Context: negation, argument, criticism, formal writing

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 这份报告毫无新意，只是重复了已知的内容。(This report offers nothing new — it just repeats what was already known.)
• 他的解释毫无逻辑，让人难以信服。(His explanation is completely illogical and hard to believe.)

Don't Say

• 毫无有用 — 毫无 must precede a noun: say 毫无用处 (utterly useless) instead

Origin & History

毫 (a hair; tiny bit) + 无 (without/none). Together: not even a hair's worth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal