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 (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶wu-len

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 Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mò-lun / vù-lun
  - Hakka Romanization System: mo^ˇ lun / vu^ˇ 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
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶wu-len
  - MiniDict: wu^去 len
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³hhu-len
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦu²² lən⁴⁴/

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/	/luən^H/
Pan Wuyun	/mio/	/luon/	/luon^H/
Shao Rongfen	/mio/	/luən/	/luən^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/muə̆/	/lwən/	/lwən^H/
Li Rong	/mio/	/luən/	/luən^H/
Wang Li	/mĭu/	/luən/	/luən^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯u/	/luən/	/luən^H/
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 ›	‹ lwon^H ›
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

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.
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):

edit

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):

edit

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

(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])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ɾõ̞ɴ]

Adverb

無(む)論(ろん) • (muron)

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)

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

^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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

[SMK7-1] Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]