How to Write 未 (wèi) — Meaning “Not yet / Have not”

Imagine a tree (木) that is still underground with only its top horizontal line visible above the soil. The extra line at the top shows the tree has not yet grown out of the ground, reminding you that 未 means 'not yet'.

Write the top horizontal stroke shorter than the second horizontal stroke. Then draw the vertical stroke down through the center, followed by left-falling and right-falling strokes. A common mistake is making the top stroke too long, which would turn the character into 末 (meaning 'end').

Compared to 木 (tree), 未 has an extra horizontal stroke at top and a different meaning. Compared to 末 (end), the key difference is stroke length: in 未 the top stroke is shorter, while in 末 the top stroke is longer. 未 means 'not yet', while 末 means 'tip' or 'end'.

未 is used to indicate something has not yet occurred, often in formal contexts. Common words include 未来 (future), 未必 (not necessarily), and 未婚 (unmarried). Culturally, 未 represents potential and incompleteness, appearing in classical phrases like '未雨绸缪' (not yet rain, prepare for it).

Common words containing 未 include: 未来 (wèi lái) — Future; 未必 (wèi bì) — Not necessarily / May not; 未婚 (wèi hūn) — Unmarried / Single.