不明

fumei

unknown or unclear

その事件の真相はまだ不明だ。

The truth about the incident is still unknown.

general

Unknown or unclear; not known or understood

その場所の住所は不明です。

The address of that place is unknown.

彼の意図は不明だ。

His intentions are unclear.

Often used in formal contexts, such as official reports or news.

general

Unidentified or unrecognized

不明の人物が現場にいた。

An unidentified person was at the scene.

Used in legal or investigative contexts.

Collocations

不明の人物unidentified person不明の原因unknown cause不明の物体unidentified object

Synonyms

未確認不明瞭未知

Antonyms

明確確認済み判明

Related Phrases

不明瞭phrase

unclear or ambiguous

不明のままphrase

remaining unknown

Pro Tip

Formal Usage

Use '不明' in formal contexts such as reports, news, or official documents to describe something that is not known or understood.

Gold Rule

Context Matters

The meaning of '不明' can vary slightly depending on the context. In legal or investigative contexts, it often refers to unidentified people or objects.

Word Origin

Combination of '不' (negative prefix) and '明' (clear, bright), literally meaning 'not clear' or 'not bright'.

Usage Notes

Often used in formal or official contexts to describe something that is not known or understood. Can also refer to unidentified people or objects.

Word Breakdown

不

not

prefix

明

clear, bright

root

和英辞典

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