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不

不 — negative, non-, bad

Learn the correct stroke order for 不 (negative), a 4-stroke kanji.

JLPT N4Grade 44 strokes

Stroke Order

1234
Stroke 0 / 4
On'yomi (音読み)フfu、ブbu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)—
Strokes4
Radical一
Frequency#101
Meaningsnegative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 4 — start from the green dot

Common Words

不安ふあんanxiety; uneasiness; worrynoun
不意ふいsudden; abrupt; unexpectedna-adjective
不運ふうんmisfortune; bad luck; ill lucknoun
不穏ふおんdisquieting; threatening; turbulentna-adjective
不可ふかwrong; bad; impropernoun
不快ふかいdispleasure; discomfort; unpleasantnessnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 不 (negative) is taught in grade 4 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N4 level. It has 4 strokes with radical 一.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 不 is #101, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

不安ふあん — anxiety; uneasiness; worry
不意ふい — sudden; abrupt; unexpected
不運ふうん — misfortune; bad luck; ill luck

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (一)

一one七seven丁street三three上above下below与bestow万ten thousand

Same reading

歩walk風wind

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 不 have?

The kanji 不 (negative) has 4 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 不?

不 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 不 mean?

不 means: negative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy. On'yomi readings: フ, ブ.

What JLPT level is 不?

不 is a JLPT N4 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.