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How to say 'Unknown' in Japanese | 不明

Wondering how to say 'Unknown' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Unknown is 'Fumei', written as 不明 in Japanese.'Unknown' in hiragana is ふめい.

    word

    不明

    Meaning

    Unknown

    Reading

    ふめい

    fumei

    Kanji

    Not Bright

    Explanation

    The Japanese adjectival noun '不明 (ふめい)' means 'unknown' or 'unclear'. It is used to describe something that is not known, not understood, or not clear. This word is often used in formal or serious contexts, such as news reports, investigations, or official statements. For example: the cause of death is unknown「死因は不明です」(しいんはふめいです). The whereabouts of the suspect are unclear「容疑者の行方は不明です」(ようぎしゃのゆくえはふめいです). It can also be used to describe something that is uncertain or ambiguous, as in 'the details are unclear'「詳細は不明です」(しょうさいはふめいです).

    Part Of Speech

    adjectival noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    5552

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 不明

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Not

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Bright

Words Related to 不明 Through the Kanji

These 44 Words contain the Kanji 不 as well.

  • word

    Meaning

    Not

  • word

    不便

    Meaning

    Inconvenient

  • word

    不動産屋

    Meaning

    Real estate agent

  • word

    不親切

    Meaning

    Unkind

  • word

    不幸

    Meaning

    Misfortune, Unhappiness

  • word

    不意

    Meaning

    Suddenness

  • word

    不味い

    Meaning

    Awkward, Unappetizing

  • word

    不可欠

    Meaning

    Essential

  • word

    不要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    不快

    Meaning

    Discomfort

  • word

    不況

    Meaning

    Recession

  • word

    不倫

    Meaning

    Affair

  • word

    不安

    Meaning

    Anxiety

  • word

    不満

    Meaning

    Dissatisfaction

  • word

    不足

    Meaning

    Lack, Shortage

  • word

    不可能

    Meaning

    Impossible

  • word

    不十分

    Meaning

    Insufficient

  • word

    不良

    Meaning

    Bad, Delinquent

  • word

    不合格

    Meaning

    Failure

  • word

    不当

    Meaning

    Unjust

  • word

    不規則

    Meaning

    Irregular

  • word

    不利

    Meaning

    Disadvantage

  • word

    不必要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    不安定

    Meaning

    Unstable

  • word

    不運

    Meaning

    Misfortune

  • word

    不自然

    Meaning

    Unnatural

  • word

    不自由

    Meaning

    Discomfort

  • word

    不思議

    Meaning

    Mysterious

  • word

    不平

    Meaning

    Complaint

  • word

    不平等

    Meaning

    Inequality

  • word

    不注意

    Meaning

    Carelessness

  • word

    不確か

    Meaning

    Uncertain

  • word

    不器用

    Meaning

    Clumsy

  • word

    不公平

    Meaning

    Unfair

  • word

    不法

    Meaning

    Illegal

  • word

    不完全

    Meaning

    Incomplete

  • word

    不正

    Meaning

    Wrongdoing

  • word

    不景気

    Meaning

    Recession

  • word

    不幸せ

    Meaning

    Unhappy

  • word

    不在

    Meaning

    Absence

  • word

    不得意

    Meaning

    Poor

  • word

    不潔

    Meaning

    Unclean, Filthy

  • word

    不機嫌

    Meaning

    Displeased

  • word

    不愉快

    Meaning

    Unpleasant

Words Related to 不明 Through the Kanji

These 25 Words contain the Kanji 明 as well.

  • word

    明らか

    Meaning

    Clear

  • word

    明後日

    Meaning

    Day after tomorrow

  • word

    明日

    Meaning

    Tomorrow

  • word

    説明

    Meaning

    Explanation

  • word

    明るい

    Meaning

    Bright, Cheerful

  • word

    明確

    Meaning

    Clear, Definite

  • word

    文明

    Meaning

    Civilization

  • word

    明け方

    Meaning

    Dawn

  • word

    明々後日

    Meaning

    Day after tomorrow

  • word

    明かり

    Meaning

    Light

  • word

    証明

    Meaning

    Proof, Verification

  • word

    透明

    Meaning

    Transparent

  • word

    表明

    Meaning

    Statement

  • word

    明朝

    Meaning

    Ming Dynasty

  • word

    夜明け

    Meaning

    Dawn

  • word

    明白

    Meaning

    Clear, Obvious

  • word

    解明

    Meaning

    Clarification

  • word

    明ける

    Meaning

    End, Dawn

  • word

    発明

    Meaning

    Invention

  • word

    打ち明ける

    Meaning

    Confess

  • word

    明治

    Meaning

    Meiji

  • word

    判明

    Meaning

    Clarification

  • word

    明く

    Meaning

    Open

  • word

    梅雨明け

    Meaning

    End of rainy season

  • word

    明瞭

    Meaning

    Clear

Learn the Word 不明

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What does 'Fumei' (不明) mean?

'Fumei' means 'Unknown' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.