空

🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

empty

HSK 3 N4

Abstract →Time

kōng, kòng

クウ

そら、あ.く、あ.き、あ.ける、から、す.く、す.かす、むな.しい

공

Phonosemantic compound. 穴 represents the meaning and 工 represents the sound.

Components

穴 hole+ 工 work =

空 empty

穴 Meaning component

xué hole

cave, den, hole

工 Phonetic component

gōng work

labor, work

View phonetic series →

Notes

Historical Evolution

Bronze

Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical

Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

空

Regular

Modern

Chinese

空 [kōng]

empty; air; sky; in vain

空 [kòng]

to empty; vacant; unoccupied; space; leisure; free time

Japanese

虚、空、洞うろ、うつお (old) 、うつほ (old) 、うつせ (old) 同音

noun hollow; cavity; hole

空くう同音

noun

empty air; sky
Buddhism shunyata (the lack of an immutable intrinsic nature within any phenomenon); emptiness
abbrev. air force
fruitlessness; meaninglessness
void (one of the five elements)

adj-no

mathematics empty (e.g. set)

空、虚 (old) そら同音

noun

sky; the air; the heavens
weather
far-off place; distant place
state of mind; feeling (often as 〜空もない)
(from) memory; (by) heart (usu. as 空で)
falsehood; lie

n-pref

somehow; vaguely (before an adjective)
fake (before a noun or a verb)

空、虚 (rare) から、カラ同音

nounadj-no emptiness; being empty
prefix not carrying anything; unburdened; empty-handed
prefix dishonoured (bill, promise, etc.); false; no-show (reservation); put-on (cheeriness, courage, etc.); empty (compliments); insincere

Korean

공 [空]

Affix

gong-; A prefix used to mean "having not spent any power or money."; gong-; A prefix used to mean "being empty" or "having no effect."; gong-; A prefix used to mean "having no use."

Example Sentences

🇯🇵 (3)

警棒で空をなぐりつけ、よろめいて体勢をたてなおしたガードマンは、自分に向かって突進してくる金網づくりのクズカゴを見た。

The guard's truncheon hit air. Off balance, he regained his posture to see a metal-mesh rubbish bin flying towards him.

ワシが空を飛んでいる。

An eagle is flying in the sky.

ほとんど空なのでガソリンを入れなくてはなりません。

I need to put some gas in the car, as it's almost empty.

Japanese Names

空あおい

Aoi female given name

空あき