kōng
empty
天空很蓝，空气很清新。
tiānkōng hěn lán, kōngqì hěn qīngxīn.
The sky is blue, and the air is fresh.
房间里很空，没有家具。
fángjiān lǐ hěn kōng, méiyǒu jiājù.
The room is empty, there is no furniture.
他很空闲，没事做。
tā hěn kōngxián, méishì zuò.
He is very free, with nothing to do.
天空很蓝，空气很清新。
tiānkōng hěn lán, kōngqì hěn qīngxīn.
The sky is blue, and the air is fresh.
他把空瓶子扔进了垃圾桶。
tā bǎ kōngpíngzi rēngjìnle lājītǒng.
He threw the empty bottle into the trash can.
这个房间很空，没有什么家具。
zhège fángjiān hěn kōng, méiyǒu shénme jiājù.
This room is empty, there is no furniture.
无 (wú)
none
虚 (xū)
empty
无 (wú)
none
虚 (xū)
empty
满 (mǎn)
full
实 (shí)
solid
满 (mǎn)
full
实 (shí)
solid
Track your progress, master characters, and achieve your Chinese language goals.
Get Started Free
The Chinese character 空 (kōng) for "empty" is composed of two parts: the radical 穴 (xué) and the phonetic component 工 (gōng). The radical 穴, which means "cave" or "hole," is a pictograph of a cave or pit in the ground. The phonetic component 工, which is pronounced gōng, is a pictograph of a person working with a tool. Together, the two components of 空 suggest the idea of a space that is empty or devoid of content.The character 空 has been used in Chinese for thousands of years, and it has a rich history of usage. In ancient Chinese texts, 空 was often used to describe the emptiness of the sky or the vastness of the universe. It was also used to describe the emptiness of the mind or the absence of desire. In modern Chinese, 空 is still used in these same senses, but it is also used to describe other types of emptiness, such as the emptiness of a room or the emptiness of a container.The character 空 is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is a common word in everyday speech, and it is also used in literature, poetry, and philosophy. The character 空 is a reminder that even in the midst of chaos and confusion, there is always the possibility of finding peace and tranquility.
