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無理

muri
nounadjective★Intermediate
informal

Impossible, unreasonable, or beyond one's ability

それは無理だ

That's impossible

無理をしないでください

Don't push yourself too hard

💡

Often used to express that something is beyond one's capacity or unreasonable to ask

informal

Forced or artificial (when referring to things)

無理な笑顔

A forced smile

Collocations

無理をするto push oneself too hard無理強いto force someone

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

無理矢理phrase
by force

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

In casual conversation, '無理' is often used to politely decline requests or express that something is too difficult.

⚡Gold Rule

Politeness

When declining a request, saying '無理です' is more polite than simply saying 'no'.

📖Word Origin

Combination of '無' (nothing) and '理' (reason), literally meaning 'no reason' or 'unreasonable'

📝Usage Notes

Can be used as a noun or adjective depending on context. Often followed by particles like 'だ' or 'な' when used as an adjective.

Word Breakdown

無
none, not
prefix
+
理
reason, logic
root
和英辞典

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