If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me just tell you, kanji are awesome.

Once you get over the tedious memorization and have a few hundred under your belt, you can start to recognize patterns that make it easier to continue. This is the time when you will start to really appreciate how cool kanji are.

I am still amazed by kanji combinations when I see them “in the wild,” and am continuously surprised with what I can understand when I take the time.

Here is a great example for how useful just a few simple kanji can be. These 4kanji, all mean “un-.” 不（ふ）未（み）無（む）非（ひ）

Just like the prefix in English, you add the kanji at the beginning of a word and it becomes the opposite of that word.

For example: 可能（かのう）meaning “possible” becomes 不可能（ふかのう）meaning “impossible.”

Each of these four have the same basic meaning, with a couple subtle differences. Learning just these four and how they work can help you understand loads more kanji and even help prepare you for the JLPT test.

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不（ふ）”incomplete” meaning. Something not having reached its full potential or capacity. This can also mean “denial,” or negation of something.

不満（ふまん）”dissatisfied” The opposite of 満足（まんぞく） meaning “satisfied”
不便（ふべん）”inconvenient” The opposite of 便利（べんり）meaning “convenient”
不慣れ（ふなれ）”inexperienced” The opposite of 慣れ（なれ）meaning “experience”

この辺りは交通が不便だ。
この　あたり　は　こうつう　が　ふべん　だ。
The transportation in this area is inconvenient.
Literally: “this + area + は + transportation + が + inconvenient + だ”

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未（み）”incomplete, not yet” meaning. There is still farther to go until an end is reached. This is also the kanji for まだ which means “not yet.”

未成年（みせいねん）”minor” The opposite of 成年（せいねん）meaning “adult”
未完成（みかんせい）”unfinished” The opposite of 完成（かんせい）meaning “complete”
未開発（みかいはつ）”undeveloped” The opposite of 開発（かいはつ）meaning “development”

あの建物は未完成だ。
あの　たてもの　は　みかんせい　だ。
That building isn’t finished.
Literally: “that + building + は + unfinished + だ”

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無（む）”absence” Something is not there. This is also the kanji used in the word なし meaning “not.”

無意味（むいみ）”meaningless” The opposite of 意味（いみ）meaning “meaning”
無意識（むいしき）”unconsciousness” The opposite of 意識（いしき）meaning “consciousness”
無休（むきゅう）"without a holiday; (working) nonstop." It's the absence of 休み（やすみ）meaning "holiday; day off."

無意識に彼に悪いことを言ってしまった。
むいしき　に　かれ　に　わるい　こと　を　いって　しまった。
Without thinking, I said something bad to him.
Literally: “unconsciously + に + him + に + bad + thing + を + say + did regretfully “

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非（ひ）”opposite, error” This is used to reverse the meaning of a word.

非常（ひじょう）”emergency” The opposite of 常（つね）meaning “normal, usual”
非合法（ひごうほう）”illegal” The opposite of 合法（ごうほう）meaning “legal, lawful”
非力（ひりき）”powerless” The opposite of 力（ちから）meaning “power, strength”

非常の際は１１０番すること
ひじょう　の　さい　は　ひゃくとお　ばん　する　こと
Dial 110 for an emergency
Literally: “emergency + の + time + は + 110 + number + do + こと”
Note: Although usually 110 would be read as ひゃくじゅう, when referring to the phone number, it is common to say ひゃくとお (ばん).

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Don’t worry if some of these words are a bit hard or above your level. Just keep in mind the general meanings of each of the four kanji and start getting used to them when you see them around. Each of them are used often in Japanese and it can be super useful to know them for when you run into any “un-” words.

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: