未

• Pinyin: wèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 未 = 木 + 一 (tree with a branch — growth not yet complete, hence 'not yet')

Meaning

Not yet; have not. A formal or literary negative adverb indicating that an action or state has not yet occurred or been completed.

More formal and literary than 没有 or 还没. Common in written Chinese, legal documents, official notices, and classical texts. Frequently appears in compounds such as 未来 (future), 未知 (unknown), 未必 (not necessarily), and 未曾 (never have).

Examples

1. 此事尚未得到官方证实。 This matter has not yet been officially confirmed.
2. 调查结果未经公布，请勿传播。 The investigation results have not been released; please do not spread them.
3. 合同未签，任何口头承诺均不具备法律效力。 Until the contract is signed, any verbal promises have no legal force.

Usage Guide

Context: written, legal, official

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 本方案未经审批，不得擅自实施。(This plan may not be implemented without authorization, as it has not yet been approved.)
• 截止目前，伤亡人数尚未得到精确统计。(As of now, the casualty figures have not yet been accurately tallied.)

Don't Say

• 我未去过那里 — in spoken Chinese, use 没去过 or 还没去过; 未 used alone as a verbal negator sounds literary and unnatural in casual everyday speech

Origin & History

甲骨文 character 未 — a tree with branches spreading at the top, symbolizing 'not yet fully grown'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal