Fearless in Chinese
The Chinese word for fearless is 无畏 (wú wèi). Literally “without fear”; bold and clear. In traditional characters it is written 無畏.
wú wèi
Fearless
What 无畏 means.
无 means without and 畏 means fear or dread, so 无畏 is literally “without fear”. The word has a Buddhist echo: the gift of fearlessness (无畏施) is one of the gifts a bodhisattva offers.
- 无
- without
- 畏
- fear
Simplified and traditional
无畏
無畏
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 無畏 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 无畏 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
About fearless in Chinese
How do you write fearless in Chinese?
Fearless is 无畏 in Chinese, pronounced wú wèi. Fearless 无 means “without”, 畏 means “fear”.
How do you pronounce 无畏?
Say wú (second tone, rising), wèi (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 无畏 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 無畏, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 无畏 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
Is 无畏 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.