無論

See also: 无论

Chinese

		not have	to talk (about); to discuss; theory to talk (about); to discuss; theory; by the; per; the Analects (of Confucius)
trad. (無論)		無	論
simp. (无论)		无	论

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wúlùn

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˊ ㄌㄨㄣˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁴ leon⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): mò-lun / vù-lun
• Northern Min (KCR): mǎu-lō̤ng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bô-lūn / bû-lūn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): bho⁵ lung⁶

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁶wu-len

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wúlùn
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ ㄌㄨㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wúlùn
    • Wade–Giles: wu²-lun⁴
    • Yale: wú-lwùn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wuluenn
    • Palladius: улунь (ulunʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵ lu̯ən⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mou⁴ leon⁶
    • Yale: mòuh leuhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁴ loen⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁴ lên⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯²¹ lɵn²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mò-lun / vù-lun
    • Hakka Romanization System: moˇ lun / vuˇ lun
    • Hagfa Pinyim: mo² lun⁴ / vu² lun⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /mo¹¹ lun⁵⁵/, /vu¹¹ lun⁵⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mǎu-lō̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mau²¹ lɔŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bô-lūn
    • Tâi-lô: bô-lūn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: boilun
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bo²⁴⁻²² lun⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bo²⁴⁻¹¹ lun³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bo²⁴⁻²² lun²²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bɤ²³⁻³³ lun³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bo¹³⁻²² lun²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bû-lūn
    • Tâi-lô: bû-lūn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bulun
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bu¹³⁻²² lun²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bu²⁴⁻²² lun⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bu²⁴⁻²² lun²²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bho⁵ lung⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bô lŭng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ luŋ³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Shanghai):
    • Wugniu: ⁶wu-len
    • MiniDict: wu^去 len
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhu-len
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦu²² lən⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: mju lwon|lwonH

Rime
Character	無	論	論
Reading #	1/1	2/3	3/3
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	來 (37)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)	魂 (55)	魂 (55)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	III	I	I
Fanqie	武夫切	盧昆切	盧困切
Baxter	mju	lwon	lwonH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɨo/	/luən/	/luənH/
Pan Wuyun	/mio/	/luon/	/luonH/
Shao Rongfen	/mio/	/luən/	/luənH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/muə̆/	/lwən/	/lwənH/
Li Rong	/mio/	/luən/	/luənH/
Wang Li	/mĭu/	/luən/	/luənH/
Bernard Karlgren	/mi̯u/	/luən/	/luənH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wú	lún	lùn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mou4	leon4	leon6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ma  [r]ˤu[n]|[r]ˤu[n]-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ma  ruːns|run/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	無	論	論
Reading #	2/3	2/3	3/3
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wú	lún	lùn
Middle Chinese	‹ mju ›	‹ lwon ›	‹ lwonH ›
Old Chinese	/*ma/	/*[r]ˁu[n]/	/*[r]ˁu[n]-s/
English	volitional prefix	discuss, examine	discussion, discourse
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	無	論	論
Reading #	1/1	2/3	3/3
No.	13117	8656	8667
Phonetic component	無	侖	侖
Rime group	魚	文	文
Rime subdivision	0	2	2
Corresponding MC rime	無	論	淪
Old Chinese	/*ma/	/*ruːns/	/*run/

Conjunction

無論

1. no matter (what, how, etc.); regardless of; whether

   無論你想吃中國菜還是日本料理，自助餐都會有你喜歡的。 [MSC, trad.]
   无论你想吃中国菜还是日本料理，自助餐都会有你喜欢的。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wúlùn nǐ xiǎng chī Zhōngguócài háishì Rìběn liàolǐ, zìzhùcān dōu huì yǒu nǐ xǐhuān de. [Pinyin]

   Whether you want Chinese or Japanese food, the buffet will have what you like.

   無論何時何地，只要你有困難或有任何疑問，都歡迎隨時聯繫我。 [MSC, trad.]
   无论何时何地，只要你有困难或有任何疑问，都欢迎随时联系我。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wúlùn héshí hédì, zhǐyào nǐ yǒu kùnnan huò yǒu rènhé yíwèn, dōu huānyíng suíshí liánxì wǒ. [Pinyin]

   No matter when or where you have any difficulties or questions, please feel free to contact me.

2. let alone; not to mention; much less

   • 問今是何世，乃不知有漢，無論魏晉。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 421, Tao Yuanming (陶淵明) The Peach-Blossom Fountain (《桃花源記》). English text based on the translation by Herbert Allen Giles, 1922.

     Wèn jīn shì héshì, nǎi bùzhī yǒu Hàn, wúlùn Wèi Jìn. [Pinyin]

     They then enquired about the politics of the day, ignorant of the establishment of the Han dynasty, and of course of the later dynasties which had succeeded it.

Synonyms

• (no matter):

• 不常在 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 不拘 (bùjū)
• 不管 (bùguǎn)
• 不論／不论 (bùlùn)
• 任憑／任凭 (rènpíng)
• 別管／别管 (biéguǎn)
• 勿怪 (⁸veq-kua) (Wu)
• 勿管 (⁸veq-kuoe) (Wu)
• 勿論／勿论 (⁸veq-len) (Wu)
• 憑／凭 (píng) (colloquial)
• 毋管
• 無管／无管 (wúguǎn) (literary or Min Nan)
• 隨便／随便 (suíbiàn)

 

• (let alone):

• 且不說／且不说 (qiěbùshuō)
• 何況／何况 (hékuàng)
• 更不用說／更不用说 (gèng bùyòng shuō)
• 更何況／更何况 (gènghékuàng)

 

Derived terms

• 無論如何／无论如何 (wúlùnrúhé)

 

Verb

無論

1. (literary) to not investigate

   • 上曰：「游擊將軍死事，無論坐者。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     上曰：「游击将军死事，无论坐者。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

     Shàng yuē: “Yóujī Jiāngjūn sǐ shì, wúlùn zuò zhě.” [Pinyin]

     "As for the death of the General Youji, do not investigate anyone implicated therein," said the Emperor.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
無	論
む Grade: 4	ろん Grade: 6
goon

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 無論 (MC mju lwonH, literally “without discussion, no argument”). Compare modern Hakka mò-lun or Cantonese mou⁴ leon⁶.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) むろん [mùróń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ᵝɾõ̞ɴ]

Adverb

無(む)論(ろん) • (muron) 

1. no doubt, naturally, of course, it goes without saying

   無論(むろん)こんな馬鹿(ばか)なことはありえない。

   Muron konna baka na koto wa arienai.

   It goes without saying that this kind of idiotic thing simply cannot be.

Noun

無(む)論(ろん) • (muron) 

1. something that is clearly the case

   あれは無論(むろん)ですね。

   Are wa muron desu ne.

   That is clearly the case.

Usage notes

More commonly used as an adverb.

References

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN