无故

• Pinyin: wú gù
• Hanzi breakdown: 无 = negation (without); 故 = 古 + 攵 (old cause — a reason, incident, or original ground) — without any such ground

Meaning

Without cause; without justification; for no reason. An adverb emphasising the complete absence of any legitimate grounds for an action, typically used in formal or legal contexts.

Strong collocations: 无故缺席 (absent without cause), 无故解雇 (dismiss without cause), 无故旷工 (absent from work without reason), 无故取消 (cancel without reason). Appears frequently in employment law, contract law, and institutional regulations. Implies a violation of expected conduct or procedural norms.

Examples

1. 劳动合同明确规定，雇主不得无故解雇员工，否则须依法向员工支付相应的经济补偿金。 The labor contract clearly states that an employer may not fire an employee without cause; otherwise, the employer must provide the legally required financial compensation.
2. 他在重要会议中无故缺席，引发了管理层的强烈不满和严肃质询。 He was absent from an important meeting without explanation, provoking strong dissatisfaction from management and a serious inquiry.
3. 学校规定，学生无故旷课超过三次者，将面临相应的纪律处分，情节严重者须接受留校察看。 School rules state that students who skip class without reason more than three times will face disciplinary action, and in serious cases may be placed on probation at school.

Usage Guide

Context: law, employment, administration

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该条款明确规定，任何一方不得无故单方面终止合同，否则须向对方支付违约金并承担由此引发的全部直接损失。(This clause expressly stipulates that neither party may unilaterally terminate the contract without cause; otherwise, it must pay the other party a penalty and bear all direct losses arising therefrom.)
• 管理委员会对这位长期无故旷工的员工发出正式书面警告，并要求其在规定期限内提供正当理由，否则将依规启动解雇程序。(The management committee issued a formal written warning to the employee who had repeatedly been absent from work without cause, requiring him to provide a legitimate explanation within the stipulated period or face dismissal proceedings.)

Don't Say

• 无故 interchangeably with 莫名 in formal contexts — 莫名 describes something mysterious or inexplicable to the observer, while 无故 specifically asserts the objective absence of legitimate justification for an action

Origin & History

无 (without) + 故 (reason/cause/incident) — without any reason or justification

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal