Definitions
(noun)
hole; opening
(noun)
cave dwelling
Etymology
Depicts an opening in a child's (子) head, representing the fontanel. Based on the original meaning "fontanel". The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "hole" and "opening".
About
The character "孔" finds its origin in an ideographic composition intended to represent the soft spot on an infant’s head, merging the semantic component "子" meaning child with an added stroke or mark to designate that specific opening. This foundational sense of a physical aperture gradually expanded to denote any hole or passage, while in classical literary usage it concurrently developed an adverbial function conveying intensity, akin to "very" or "exceedingly". Its structural integrity, consistently built around the "子" radical, has remained unchanged, with the ancillary element stabilizing over time into the contemporary form. The meaning thus shifted from a precise anatomical reference to a broader conceptualization of voids and openings, while also retaining its role as a surname, encapsulating a layered semantic history within its stable graphical form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
孔子是中国古代的哲学家。
运动后我的毛孔张开了。
他用鼻孔呼吸新鲜空气。
动物园里有一只美丽的孔雀。
墙上有一个小小的孔洞。
我们在节日放了很多孔明灯。
这条孔道连接着两个山谷。
显微镜下可以观察到微小的孔结构。