空手

空手

1. to be empty-handed
2. to be unarmed
3. to be without a copy, model, diagram, blueprint, etc.

空手

1. Short for 空手道 (kōngshǒudào, “karate”).

Orthographic borrowing from Okinawan 唐手(とーでぃー) (tōdī) to Japanese 唐手(からて) (karate), compound of 唐 (kara, “Tang Dynasty; China”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”), as the art was originally transmitted from China to Okinawa, and thence to mainland Japan.^[1][2]

The use of 空 to spell the kara portion is an example of ateji (当て字) to express the idea of “empty-handed” or “unarmed”.

• (Tokyo) からて (Heiban – )^[2]
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• Audio:

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空(から)手(て) • (karate) 

1. karate

Compound of 空 (kara, “empty”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).^[1][2]

• (Tokyo) からて (Heiban – )^[2]
• IPA^(key):

• Audio:

  (file)

空(から)手(て) • (karate) 

1. the state of being empty-handed

   参(まい)った！出(しゅっ)張(ちょう)したのにお土産(みやげ)を忘(わす)れて、空手(からて)で帰(かえ)ってしまった。

   Maitta! Shutchō shita no ni omiyage o wasurete, karate de kaette shimatta.

   Oh no! I went on a trip, but I forgot to get any gifts, and returned empty-handed.

Note that this term in Japanese is a noun, but it is often translated into English as the adjective empty-handed.

Compound of 空 (aki, “empty, open”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).^[1][2]

• 空き手, 明き手, 明手

• IPA^(key):

空(あき)手(て) • (akite) 

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the left, the left hand, the left-hand side (from the way a blind person would hold their cane in their right hand, leaving the left empty)
2. (archaic, possibly obsolete) (by extension) someone with nothing to do, someone unoccupied at the moment, an idler

   Synonyms: 手隙 (tesuki), 透き (tesuki), 手明き (teaki)

Compound of 空 (sora, “sky; out of the blue”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).^[1][2] The te changes to de as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• 虚手

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空(そら)手(で) • (sorade) 

1. (archaic) sudden-onset pain in one's hands or arms with no clear immediate cause, such as due to arthritis or neuralgia

Compound of 空 (muna, “empty, hollow”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”). The te changes to de as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• 徒手

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空(むな)手(で) • (munade) 

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the state of being empty-handed, bare-handed, unarmed
2. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the state of being empty-handed, doing nothing with no success or positive result

From Middle Chinese 空手 (MC khuwng syuwX, literally “empty + hand”).

• (Tokyo) くうしゅ (Atamadaka – )^[2]
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空(くう)手(しゅ) • (kūshu) 

1. the state of being empty-handed, bare-handed, unarmed

   Synonyms: 素手 (sude), 空拳 (kūken), 手ぶら (te-bura)

空手

1. chữ Hán form of không thủ (“karate”).