The Meaning of buji [無事] In Japanese

無事
ぶじ
Romaji: buji N4

What does 無事 mean?

Translation and Meaning

safe, unharmed, without incident

Definition

It means safe, unharmed, or without incident. The core concept is a state in which no harm, trouble, or negative outcome has occurred, and it is commonly used to report safety after danger or to express relief in everyday conversation.

Type

noun (na-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Unharmed or physically safe after danger
  • Safe and sound as the outcome of a journey or event
  • Used to convey reassurance or relief in conversation or writing
  • As an adverb 無事に to describe performing actions safely or without incident

Etymology

From the kanji 無 and 事, with the onyomi readings bu + ji forming buji, a Sino-Japanese phonetic pattern for compounds that yields the modern pronunciation.

Origin

Historically, 無事 appeared in classical Japanese and Buddhist contexts as a general notion of safety or lack of trouble; the term later became common in Edo-period writings and has endured in everyday speech to denote safe arrival, recovery, or the absence of harm.

Composition

  • 無: negation, absence, nothingness
  • 事: matter, affair, event
  • Together they form a compound meaning a state of no incident or trouble; the phrase is used to describe safety or the absence of harm in a situation

Usage

Used across registers to report safety or to convey relief. In speech, 無事だ and 無事です are common polite and formal forms, while 無事に describes actions done safely. Typical contexts include post-incident reports, travel updates, or reassurances in messages; phrases often emphasize the state of being unharmed rather than the process of getting there.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a scene with no events happening—no trouble at all—so nothing but calm, which cues 無事 as the state of being safely free from incident.

Variations

  • 安全 (anzen) — general safety, 安全 (anzen)
  • 平安 (hei’an) — calm, peaceful, 平安 (hei-an)
  • 無事だ / 無事です (buji da / buji desu) — common predicate forms
  • 危険 (kiken) — dangerous; antonym

Example Phrases

  • 大学の願書を今日、窓口で無事提出した。
    Daigaku no gansho o kyou, madoguchi de buji teishutsu shita.
    Today I safely submitted my university application at the counter.
    Lista:
    • 大学 (daigaku) – university
    • の (no) – particle
    • 願書 (gansho) – application form
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 今日 (kyou) – today
    • 窓口 (madoguchi) – counter
    • で (de) – at
    • 無事 (buji) – safely
    • 提出 (teishutsu) – submission
    • した (shita) – did
    The word 「願書」 means an application form; here it is the object of 提出した, marked by を.
  • 今日は出張中、無事に任務を終えた。
    Kyou wa shucchou-chuu, buji ni ninmu o oeta.
    Today, on a business trip, I completed the mission safely.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 出張中、 (shucchou-chuu) – on a business trip
    • 無事に (buji ni) – safely
    • 任務を (ninmu o) – task (object marker)
    • 終えた。 (oeta) – finished
    「無事」 significa ‘safe’ e é usado com に para formar 「無事に」, funcionando como advérbio que modifica o verbo 終えた, indicando que a ação foi concluída sem incidentes.
無事