無知・無智|むちmuchi[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Which spelling to use
無知無知 is written with kanji only and is the more common form; use it when writing this word.
無智無智 is a less common kanji-only written variant of 無知; learners should recognize it but generally choose 無知 when writing.
Definitions
- noun, na-adjectiveignorance; innocence; stupidity
Conjugation
| Plain form | 無知（むち） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 無知です（むちです） |
| Negative (dewa nai) | 無知ではない（むちではない） |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | 無知ではありません（むちではありません） |
| Past (datta) | 無知だった（むちだった） |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | 無知ではなかった（むちではなかった） |
| Te form (de) | 無知で（むちで） |
| Adverbial (ni) | 無知に（むちに） |
| Conditional (nara) | 無知なら（むちなら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym不学ふがくWrittenWritten/formal prose. A noun for having no schooling or learning; stresses lack of education, while 「無知」 stresses lack of knowledge itself.
- Synonym無教養むきょうようWrittenWritten/formal prose. Lack of cultivation or refinement, as in 「無教養な人」; suggests a coarse, unrefined character, while 「無知」 is about lacking knowledge.
- Synonym無学むがくWrittenWritten/formal prose. A noun for having no learning; can imply illiteracy and sounds old-fashioned. In Buddhism it also means an arhat, one with nothing left to learn.
- Related不案内ふあんないNeutralNeutral. Being unfamiliar with something or not knowing how things work, as in 「土地に不案内」; about unfamiliarity with a situation rather than lacking knowledge generally.
- Antonym博識はくしきWrittenWritten/formal prose. Extensive knowledge or erudition, as in 「博識な人」; the direct opposite of 「無知」, which denotes a lack of knowledge.
- Antonym賢明けんめいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Wise and sensible, able to judge things well, as in 「賢明な判断」; contrasts with 「無知」 in whether judgment is wise.
Use 「無知」 for lacking knowledge or sense (「無知な人」, 「無知をさらす」). For lack of schooling choose 「無学」 or 「不学」, for lack of cultivation 「無教養」, for unfamiliarity 「不案内」. Antonyms: 「博識」, 「賢明」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
