空

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See also: 🈳
空 U+7A7A, 空
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7A7A
← 穹
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 穻 →

Translingual

Stroke order
8 strokes

Han character

空 (Kangxi radical 116, 穴+3, 8 strokes, cangjie input 十金一 (JCM), four-corner 30101, composition ⿱穴工)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 863, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 25415
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1289, character 8
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2719, character 8
  • Unihan data for U+7A7A

Chinese

trad. 空
simp. # 空
alternative forms 𠀝
𫞹
𰁕
𢦉

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 空
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script
Characters in the same phonetic series (工) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
缸 *kroːŋ, *ɡroːŋ
篢 *kluːmʔ, *koːŋ
贑 *kluːmʔ
涳 *ŋr'oːŋ, *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
江 *kroːŋ
肛 *kroːŋ, *qʰroːŋ
扛 *kroːŋ
杠 *kroːŋ
豇 *kroːŋ
茳 *kroːŋ
釭 *kroːŋ, *koːŋ, *kuːŋ
矼 *kroːŋ
玒 *kroːŋ, *koːŋ
虹 *kroːŋs, *koːŋs, *ɡoːŋ
腔 *kʰroːŋ
崆 *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
羫 *kʰroːŋ
控 *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
椌 *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
悾 *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
跫 *kʰroːŋ, *kʰoŋ, *ɡoŋ
啌 *qʰroːŋ
谾 *qʰroːŋ, *qʰoːŋ
舡 *qʰroːŋ
缻 *ɡroːŋ
項 *ɡroːŋʔ
屸 *ɡ·roːŋ
功 *koːŋ
工 *koːŋ
疘 *koːŋ
魟 *koːŋ, *qʰoːŋ, *ɡoːŋ
攻 *koːŋ, *kuːŋ
愩 *koːŋ
碽 *koːŋ
貢 *koːŋs
羾 *koːŋs
空 *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
箜 *kʰoːŋ
硿 *kʰoːŋ
埪 *kʰoːŋ
鵼 *kʰoːŋ
倥 *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋʔ, *kʰoːŋs
鞚 *kʰoːŋs
叿 *qʰoːŋ
嗊 *qʰoːŋʔ
訌 *ɡoːŋ
紅 *ɡoːŋ
仜 *ɡoːŋ
葒 *ɡoːŋ
渱 *ɡoːŋ
鴻 *ɡoːŋ, *ɡoːŋʔ
汞 *ɡoːŋʔ
澒 *ɡoːŋʔ
鞏 *koŋʔ
巩 *koŋʔ
銎 *kʰoŋ, *qʰoŋ
恐 *kʰoŋʔ, *kʰoŋs
蛩 *ɡoŋ
筇 *ɡoŋ
桏 *ɡoŋ
邛 *ɡoŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs) : semantic 穴 (“cave, hole”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)uŋ (“hole; orifice; inner part”). 孔 (OC *kʰloːŋʔ, “hole”) is probably the endoactive derivation of 空 (OC *kʰoːŋ, “hollow; empty”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan ཁུང (khung, “hole”), Jingpho ladi hku (“nostril”), Chepang घाङ् (gʰaŋ, “hole”), Burmese ခေါင်း (hkaung:, “cavity”), Naxi ko³³ (“cave; hole; pit”) (STEDT).

Pronunciation 1

Note:
  • kĕ̤ng - vernacular;
  • kŭng - literary.
Note:
  • khang - vernacular;
  • khong - literary.
Note:
  • kang1 - vernacular;
  • kong1 - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 空
Mandarin Beijing /kʰuŋ⁵⁵/
Harbin /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Tianjin /kʰuŋ²¹/
Jinan /kʰuŋ²¹³/
Qingdao /kʰəŋ²¹³/
Zhengzhou /kʰuŋ²⁴/
Xi'an /kʰuŋ²¹/
Xining /kʰuə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /kʰũn³¹/
Ürümqi /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Chengdu /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Guiyang /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Kunming /kʰoŋ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /kʰoŋ³¹/
Hefei /kʰəŋ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /kʰuəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /kʰuŋ¹³/
Hohhot /kʰũŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /kʰoŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /kʰoŋ³³/
Wenzhou /kʰoŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /kʰuʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /kʰan¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /kʰoŋ³³/
Xiangtan /kʰən³³/
Gan Nanchang /kʰuŋ⁴²/
Hakka Meixian /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /kʰuŋ²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /hoŋ⁵³/
Nanning /huŋ⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /huŋ⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /kʰɔŋ⁵⁵/
/kʰaŋ⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /kʰøyŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /kʰɔŋ⁵⁴/
/kɔŋ³³/ ～闲
Shantou (Teochew) /kʰoŋ³³/
/kʰaŋ³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /xoŋ²³/
/xaŋ²³/
Rime
Character 空
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 溪 (29)
Final (韻) 東 (1)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 苦紅切
Baxter khuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/kʰuŋ/
Pan
Wuyun 		/kʰuŋ/
Shao
Rongfen 		/kʰuŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/kʰəwŋ/
Li
Rong 		/kʰuŋ/
Wang
Li 		/kʰuŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/kʰuŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		kōng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		hung1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 空
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		kōng
Middle
Chinese 		‹ khuwng ›
Old
Chinese 		/*kʰˁoŋ/
English hollow, empty; hole

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * 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 空
Reading # 1/2
No. 4034
Phonetic
component 		工
Rime
group 		東
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		空
Old
Chinese 		/*kʰoːŋ/

Definitions

空

  1. empty; hollow; void
    這箱子是空的。／这箱子是空的。  ―  Zhè xiāngzi shì kōng de.  ―  This box is empty.
    在盒子裡有些空瓶。 [MSC, trad.]
    在盒子里有些空瓶。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zài hézi lǐ yǒu xiē kōng píng.
    There are some empty bottles in the box.
  2. exhausted; emptied
  3. open; spacious; vast
  4. quiet and still; secluded
  5. lacking substance; fictitious; fabricated
    空話／空话  ―  kōnghuà  ―  empty talk
  6. (Eastern Min) hungry
  7. air; sky; atmosphere
    空氣／空气  ―  kōngqì  ―  air; atmosphere
    天空  ―  tiānkōng  ―  the sky
    航空  ―  hángkōng  ―  aviation
    空調／空调  ―  kōngtiáo  ―  air conditioning
  8. space; outer space; cosmos; universe
    太空  ―  tàikōng  ―  outer space
    空間／空间  ―  kōngjiān  ―  space
  9. (Buddhism) sunyata; emptiness; void of the world of the senses
  10. (Taoism) emptiness and quiet
  11. in vain; for nothing
  12. only (left, remain, etc.)
  13. to exhaust
  14. to miss the target
  15. (Southern Min, Taiwanese Hakka) hole; cavity
Synonyms
  • (empty):
Dialectal synonyms of 空 (“empty; void”)
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 空
Mandarin Beijing 空
Taiwan 空
Jinan 空
Xi'an 空
Wuhan 空
Chengdu 空
Yangzhou 空
Hefei 空
Cantonese Guangzhou 空, 吉
Hong Kong 空, 吉
Taishan 空
Yangjiang 空
Gan Nanchang 空
Hakka Meixian 空
Jin Taiyuan 空
Northern Min Jian'ou 空
Eastern Min Fuzhou 空
Southern Min Xiamen 空
Quanzhou 空
Zhangzhou 空
Tainan 空
Chaozhou 空
Jieyang 空
Wu Suzhou 空
Wenzhou 空
Xiang Changsha 空
Shuangfeng 空
  • (hungry):
Dialectal synonyms of 餓 (“hungry”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 飢, 餓
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 餓, 飢餓
Mandarin Beijing 餓
Taiwan 餓
Tianjin 餓
Chengde 餓
Tangshan 餓
Cangzhou 餓
Baoding 餓
Shijiazhuang 餓
Chifeng 餓
Hulunbuir (Hailar) 餓
Heihe 餓
Qiqihar 餓
Harbin 餓
Jiamusi 餓
Baicheng 餓
Changchun 餓
Tonghua 餓
Shenyang 餓
Dandong 餓
Jinzhou 餓
Dalian 餓
Yantai 餓, 飢困
Qingdao 餓, 飢困
Lijin 飢困
Jinan 餓
Jining 餓
Shangqiu 餓, 飢
Yuanyang 餓
Zhengzhou 飢
Lingbao 飢
Xinyang 餓
Baihe 餓
Hanzhong 餓
Xi'an 飢, 餓
Baoji 飢
Yinchuan 餓
Tianshui 餓
Lanzhou 餓
Dunhuang 餓
Xining 餓
Hami 餓
Ürümqi 餓
Wuhan 餓
Yichang 餓
Xiangyang 餓
Tianmen 餓
Hong'an 餓
Chengdu 餓
Nanchong 餓
Dazhou 餓
Hanyuan 餓
Xichang 餓
Zigong 餓
Chongqing 餓
Guiyang 餓
Zunyi 餓
Bijie 餓
Liping 餓
Zhaotong 餓
Dali 餓
Kunming 餓
Mengzi 餓
Guilin 餓
Liuzhou 餓
Jishou 餓
Changde 餓
Anqing 餓
Xuzhou 餓
Fuyang 餓
Yangzhou 餓
Lianyungang 餓
Lianshui 餓
Nanjing 餓
Hefei 餓
Nantong 餓
Singapore 餓
Cantonese Guangzhou 肚餓, 餓
Hong Kong 肚餓, 餓
Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou) 肚餓
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou) 肚餓
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 肚胈餓
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 肚胈餓
Macau 餓
Guangzhou (Panyu) 肚餓
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 肚餓
Guangzhou (Conghua) 肚餓
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 肚餓
Foshan 肚餓
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 肚餓
Foshan (Shunde) 餓
Foshan (Sanshui) 肚餓
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 肚餓
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 餓
Zhuhai (Qianshan) 餓
Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka) 肚餓
Zhuhai (Doumen) 肚餓
Jiangmen (Baisha) 肚飢
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 肚餓
Taishan 肚飢
Kaiping (Chikan) 肚餓
Enping (Niujiang) 肚餓
Heshan (Yayao) 肚餓
Dongguan 屎肚餓
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 肚餓
Shenzhen (Dapeng) 餓
Shaoguan 肚餓
Yunfu 肚餓
Yangjiang 餓
Xinyi 肚餓
Lianjiang 肚餓
Nanning 肚餓
Hepu (Lianzhou) 飢
Hepu (Shatian) 飢, 餓
Beihai 餓
Beihai (Nankang) 餓
Beihai (Yingpan) 飢
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) 肚餓
Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà) 肚餓
Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) 肚餓
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 餓
Singapore (Guangfu) 餓, 肚餓
Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) 餓
Móng Cái 肚餓
Gan Nanchang 餓
Hakka Meixian 肚飢, 餓
Xingning 餓
Dabu (Xihe) 豺
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua) 肚胈餓
Huidong (Daling) 餓
Dongguan (Qingxi) 肚胈餓
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 肚胈餓
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 餓
Wuhua (Shuizhai) 肚𤸁
Wuhua (Huacheng) 肚飢, 肚胈餓
Wuhua (Changbu) 肚胈飢
Wuhua (Mianyang) 肚𤸁
Wuhua (Meilin) 𤸁
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 肚飢
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 肚胈餓
Conghua (Lütian) 餓
Jiexi 肚屎𤸁
Changting 腹飢, 餓
Yongding 肚飢
Yongding (Xiayang) 豺
Yongding (Hukeng) 肚飢
Wuping 肚飢
Wuping (Pingyu) 肚飢
Liancheng 腹飢
Liancheng (Peitian) 腹底飢, 腹飢, 餓
Liancheng (Juxi) 腹裡飢, 腹飢, 飢
Liancheng (Zhongbao) 腹飢
Liancheng (Laiyuan) 腹飢, 餓肚屎, 肚屎空
Ninghua 腹飢
Ruijin 肚飢, 肚籮捏飢
Shicheng 肚飢
Shangyou (Shexi) 肚飢
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 肚飢, 肚枵
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 肚飢
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 肚屎枵, 肚枵
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 肚飢, 肚屎枵, 肚枵
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 肚屎枵, 肚枵
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 屎肚枵
Hong Kong 餓
Sabah (Longchuan) 肚胈餓
Kuala Lumpur (Dabu) 肚餓
Senai (Huiyang) 餓
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) 肚屎枵, 肚屎飢, 𤸁
Singkawang 肚屎飢
Bangkok (Meixian) 肚飢
Bangkok (Fengshun) 肚𤸁
Huizhou Shexian 餓
Jin Taiyuan 餓
Yangyuan 餓, 飢
Datong 飢
Xinzhou 餓
Lishi 餓
Linfen 飢
Changzhi 飢
Linhe 餓
Jining 餓
Hohhot 餓
Erenhot 餓, 飢
Pingshan 餓
Zhangjiakou 餓
Handan 餓, 飢
Linzhou 飢
Suide 餓
Northern Min Jian'ou 腹飢, 餓
Eastern Min Fuzhou 空, 枵 dated
Southern Min Xiamen 枵
Xiamen (Tong'an) 腹肚枵
Quanzhou 枵
Shishi 枵
Zhangzhou 枵
Zhao'an 枵, 腹肚枵
Taipei (Wanhua) 枵
Kaohsiung 枵
Yilan 枵
Changhua (Lukang) 枵
Taichung 枵
Taichung (Wuqi) 枵
Tainan 枵
Taitung 枵
Hsinchu 枵
Penghu (Magong) 枵
Penang (Hokkien) 枵
Singapore (Hokkien) 枵, 腹肚枵
Manila (Hokkien) 枵, 腹肚枵
Chaozhou 枵, 肚困, 肚枵
Shantou 肚困, 枵
Shantou (Chenghai) 肚困, 枵
Shantou (Chaoyang) 肚困
Jieyang 枵
Haifeng 肚枵
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 枵
Singapore (Teochew) 肚困, 枵
Wenchang 肚困
Haikou 困, 肚困
Singapore (Hainanese) 困, 肚困
Zhongshan Min Shaxi (Longdu) 肚餓
Sanxiang 餓, 肚餓
Wu Shanghai 餓
Suzhou 餓
Ningbo 肚飢
Wenzhou 餓
Jinhua 肚飢
Xiang Changsha 餓, 䐬
Shuangfeng 肚䐬, 餓 intensified
  • (hole):
Dialectal synonyms of 孔 (“hole”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 孔, 洞, 穴
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 孔, 洞, 孔洞, 空洞, 空穴
Mandarin Beijing 窟窿
Jinan 窟窿
Luoyang 窟窿
Wanrong 窟窿
Xi'an 窟窿子, 窟窿
Wuhan 窟窿, 窟眼, 洞洞, 洞
Chengdu 窟窿, 洞洞, 洞
Liuzhou 窿
Yangzhou 洞, 窟窿
Nanjing 窟窿
Hefei 窟窿, 洞
Singapore 洞
Cantonese Guangzhou 窿, 咕窿
Hong Kong 窿, 咕窿
Taishan 孔
Yangjiang 窿
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 窿
Singapore (Guangfu) 窿
Gan Nanchang 洞
Hakka Meixian 窿仔, 窿空仔
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 空
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 空
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 空
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 空
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 空
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 空
Jin Taiyuan 窟窿, 窟子
Northern Min Jian'ou 川
Eastern Min Fuzhou 空空
Southern Min Xiamen 空, 空口
Quanzhou 空
Zhangzhou 空口
Zhangzhou (Changtai) 空
Taipei 空
Penang (Hokkien) 空
Singapore (Hokkien) 空
Manila (Hokkien) 空
Chaozhou 空
Jieyang 空, 洞
Haifeng 空
Singapore (Teochew) 空
Singapore (Hainanese) 空
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 窿
Wu Suzhou 洞
Wenzhou 洞, 窟, 窟窿
Jinhua 窟窿
Xiang Changsha 洞, 洞子
Shuangfeng 眼貢, 洞

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Note: hung3 - rare.
Note:
  • káe̤ng - vernacular;
  • kóng - literary.
Note:
  • khòng - literary (including “zero”);
  • khàng - vernacular.
Note: kang3 - “zero”.
Rime
Character 空
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 溪 (29)
Final (韻) 東 (1)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 苦貢切
Baxter khuwngH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/kʰuŋH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/kʰuŋH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/kʰuŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/kʰəwŋH/
Li
Rong 		/kʰuŋH/
Wang
Li 		/kʰuŋH/
Bernard
Karlgren 		/kʰuŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		kòng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		hung3
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 空
Reading # 2/2
No. 4045
Phonetic
component 		工
Rime
group 		東
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		控
Old
Chinese 		/*kʰoːŋs/

Definitions

空

  1. to make empty; to impoverish
  2. to leave empty; to leave blank
  3. vacant; unoccupied; available
    有空房間嗎？／有空房间吗？  ―  Yǒu kòng fángjiān ma?  ―  Is there any vacant room?
    這個位子空著嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
    这个位子空着吗？ [MSC, simp.]
    Zhè ge wèizǐ kòng zhe ma?
    Is this seat available?
  4. spare time; free time; leisure
    我今天有空。  ―  Wǒ jīntiān yǒu kòng.  ―  I'm free today.
    你下午有空嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
    你下午有空吗？ [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ xiàwǔ yǒu kòng ma?
    Are you free this afternoon?
    現在醫生沒空。 [MSC, trad.]
    现在医生没空。 [MSC, simp.]
    Xiànzài yīshēng méi kòng.
    The doctor is not available now.
  5. empty space; room
    再擠個人進來行嗎？車裡還有空嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
    再挤个人进来行吗？车里还有空吗？ [MSC, simp.]
    Zài jǐ ge rén jìnlái xíng ma? Chē lǐ hái yǒu kòng ma?
    Can you fit in another person? Is there room in the car?
  6. (of time) gap; interval; break
    Synonyms: 間隙／间隙 (jiànxì), 間隔／间隔
  7. chance; opportunity
  8. (Southern Min) zero
Synonyms
  • (zero):
Dialectal synonyms of 零 (“zero”)
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 零, 洞 as a digit
Mandarin Beijing 零
Taiwan 零
Harbin 零
Yantai (Muping) 零
Jinan 零
Luoyang 零
Xi'an 零
Yinchuan 零
Lanzhou 零
Xining 零
Ürümqi 零
Wuhan 零
Chengdu 零
Guiyang 零
Liuzhou 零
Xuzhou 零
Yangzhou 零
Nanjing 零
Malaysia 零
Singapore 零
Cantonese Guangzhou 零
Hong Kong 零
Macau 零
Dongguan 零
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 零
Singapore (Guangfu) 零
Gan Lichuan 零
Pingxiang 零
Hakka Meixian 零
Yudu 零
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 零
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 零
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 零
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 零
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 零
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 零
Huizhou Jixi 零
Jin Taiyuan 零
Xinzhou 零
Northern Min Jian'ou 零
Eastern Min Fuzhou 零, 環
Southern Min Xiamen 空, 零
Quanzhou 空
Zhangzhou 空
Taipei 空
Kaohsiung 空
Tainan 空
Penang (Hokkien) 空
Singapore (Hokkien) 空
Manila (Hokkien) 空
Chaozhou 空
Shantou 空
Singapore (Teochew) 空
Batam (Teochew) 空
Leizhou 零
Wenchang 空, 零
Haikou 空, 零
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 零
Wu Shanghai 零
Shanghai (Chongming) 零
Suzhou 零
Hangzhou 零
Ningbo 零
Wenzhou 零
Jinhua 零
  • (spare time):
  • (empty): (Cantonese) 吉

Compounds

Pronunciation 3

Definitions

空

  1. † Alternative form of 孔 (kǒng, “hole; cave; mouth”)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (空):
  • → Japanese: 空(くう) (kū)
  • → Korean: 공(空) (gong)
  • → Vietnamese: không (空)

References

Japanese

Kanji

空

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
空
そら
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
虚

⟨so1ra⟩ → */sʷora/ → /sora/

From Old Japanese, presumably from Proto-Japonic *sora.

Found in the Kojiki c. 712 CE.

Pronunciation

Noun

空(そら) • (sora) 

  1. the sky
    Synonym: 天 (ten)
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
空
から
Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Cognate with 殻 (kara, “shell”).

Pronunciation

Prefix

空(から) • (kara) 

  1. something empty
    空(から)箱(ばこ) ― karabako ― empty box
  2. ineffectual
    空(から)振(ぶ)り ― karaburi ― in vain
  3. false
    空(から)元(げん)気(き) ― karagenki ― false vigor, bravado
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
空
くう
Grade: 1
goon

From Middle Chinese 空 (MC khuwng|khuwngH).

The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit शून्यता (śūnyatā).

Pronunciation

Noun

空(くう) • (kū) 

  1. empty air
  2. meaninglessness
  3. (Buddhism) sunyata: emptiness, vacuity, awareness, openness, thusness
  4. (Buddhism) void: one of the 五大 (godai, literally “great five”) and the highest of the five elements
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
空
うろ
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: うろ

(The following entry is uncreated: うろ.)

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
空
うつお
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: 虚

(The following entry is uncreated: 虚.)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
空
うつぼ
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: うつぼ

(The following entry is uncreated: うつぼ.)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 空 (MC khuwng|khuwngH).

Hanja

Korean numbers (edit)
0 1  →  10  → 
    Native isol.: (slang) 빵 (ppang)
    Sino-Korean: 영 (yeong), 령 (ryeong), (as digit, not number) 공 (gong)
    Hanja: 零, 空
Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

空 (eumhun 빌 공 (bil gong))

  1. Hanja form? of 공 (“empty; void”).
  2. Hanja form? of 공 (“sky; air”).
  3. Hanja form? of 공 (“zero”).

Compounds

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Okinawan

Kanji

空

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Etymology

Kanji in this term
空
すら
Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Borrowed from Japanese 空 (sora) (or more exactly, an earlier form of it).

As remarked by Igarashi (2022), the inherited meaning of this term in Ryukyuan languages is not "sky", but "treetop".

Pronunciation

Noun

空(すら) (sura) 

  1. (literary) the sky, heavens

References

  1. ^ Igarashi, Yosuke. "Reconstruction of Ryukyuan tone classes of Middle Japanese Class 2.4 and 2.5 nouns".

Vietnamese

Han character

空: Hán Việt readings: không (枯(khô)公(công)切(thiết))
空: Nôm readings: không, khung, khỏng, khong, cung, khống

  1. chữ Hán form of không (“empty; void”).
  2. chữ Hán form of không (“air; sky”).
  3. chữ Hán form of không (“zero; none”).

Compounds

Compounds

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Trần (2004).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bonet (1899).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Génibrel (1898).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. ^ Hồ (1976).
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