空

kōng, kòng

工 + 穴

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 4

Definitions

kōng (adjective) empty; vacant

kōng (noun) sky; air

kōng (adverb) in vain

kòng (verb) to empty

kòng (noun) free time; leisure

Etymology

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

Semantic: 穴 Phonetic: 工

About

空 is a phonosemantic compound: the radical 穴 (xué) "cave" at the top gives the meaning of a hollow void, while 工 (gōng) below indicates the pronunciation. Its original sense is a literal empty space, cavity, or vacancy. From this physical emptiness, the meaning extended to the vast uncluttered sky, atmosphere, and air, and later took on abstract connotations of nothingness, vanity, and the absence of substance.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

房间里是空的。

Fángjiān lǐ shì kōng de.

The room is empty.

天空中有许多云。

Tiānkōng zhōng yǒu xǔduō yún.

There are many clouds in the sky.

这里的空气很新鲜。

Zhèlǐ de kōngqì hěn xīnxiān.

The air here is very fresh.

请把下周五空出来。

Qǐng bǎ xià zhōu wǔ kōng chūlái.

Please keep next Friday free.

我空闲时喜欢看书。

Wǒ kòngxián shí xǐhuan kànshū.

I like to read books in my free time.

整个礼堂空荡荡的。

Zhěnggè lǐtáng kōngdàngdàng de.

The entire auditorium is completely empty.

这批货物将通过空运送达。

Zhè pī huòwù jiāng tōngguò kōngyùn sòngdá.

This batch of goods will be delivered by air freight.

不要凭空猜测事情的真相。

Bùyào píngkōng cāicè shìqíng de zhēnxiàng.

Don't speculate about the truth of the matter without any basis.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 工

Component: 穴

空