The Meaning of muimi [無意味] In Japanese

無意味
むいみ
Romaji: muimi N4

What does 無意味 mean?

Translation and Meaning

no meaning, meaningless

Definition

無意味 means without meaning; it describes something that lacks significance, purpose, or value in a given context. It can apply to statements, actions, or things that do not convey any useful information or are irrelevant.

Type

adjectival noun (na-adjective) (形容動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Absence of inherent meaning: something that cannot be interpreted or understood as conveying information.
  • Subjective insignificance: perceived as irrelevant or trivial in a given context.
  • Philosophical or linguistic usage: used to discuss the meaningfulness or lack thereof of statements or concepts.
  • Colloquial emphasis: in casual speech it can express frustration or dismissal about the content of a remark.

Composition

  • 無: nothing, none; negation or absence
  • 意: meaning, thought, intention
  • Combined 無意味 expresses ‘without meaning’ by negating meaning with 無

Usage

無意味 is used in both formal and casual contexts to label statements or actions as lacking significance or relevance. It often appears with the copula だ or in attributive form 無意味な + noun, and is found in written critiques as well as everyday conversation; typical mood ranges from neutral assessment to sharp criticism in tone. In Japanese, it can modify nouns as 無意味な話 or appear as 無意味だ in predicates.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture 無 as an empty box blocking 意 in the mind; remember that 無 meaning no, and 意 meaning intention, so 無意味 literally means no intention carried by the expression.

Variations

  • 意味をなさない (imi o nasanai) – synonymous nuance; romaji: imi o nasanai
  • 意味がない (imi ga nai) – direct synonym; romaji: imi ga nai
  • 取るに足らない (toru ni taranai) – not worth considering; romaji: toru ni taranai
  • 有意義 (yūigi) – antonym meaning meaningful; romaji: yūigi

Example Phrases

  • その 話は 無意味だと 私は すぐに 認めた。
    Sono hanashi wa muimi da to watashi wa sugu ni mitometa.
    I immediately admitted that the story was meaningless.
    Lista:
    • その (sono) – that
    • 話は (hanashi wa) – the story
    • 無意味だと (muimi da to) – that it is meaningless
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • すぐに (sugu ni) – immediately
    • 認めた (mitometa) – admitted
    Core point: 「無意味だと」 marks the content clause ‘that it is meaningless’ before 認めた; 「無意味」 means meaningless.
無意味