勿 wù — do not · English

勿

wù

do not

At a glance · 勿

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文、金文象旗帜飘扬之形（或说耒形），象形，后借为否定副词「不要」。隶楷作「勿」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「勿」本为旗帜之象，假借为禁止性副词。

Structure

象形字，象旗帜飘动之形；后借作副词。

At a glance

Pinyinwù

Radical勹

Strokes4

UnicodeU+52FF

Character type象形

Theme虚词

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English do not Do not, must not (prohibitive).

Français ne pas Ne pas, il ne faut pas (défense).

Español no No, no debes (prohibición).

العربية لا لا تفعل (نهي).

Русский не Не, нельзя (запрет).

Common words

勿wùdo not
勿忘wù wàngdon't forget

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