About
The character "虚" derives from an early concept involving a tiger positioned on a mound, an image that evoked the idea of an elevated or deserted space leading to its core meaning of emptiness. Its traditional form, "虛", structurally combines the "虍" element symbolizing a tiger with "丘" representing a hill, thereby visually anchoring this original notion of vacancy. Over time, the semantic scope of the character extended from describing physical hollows and ruins to abstract qualities including falsehood, modesty, and infirmity, as reflected in compounds like "虚假" for falsehood and "虚弱" for weakness. The modern form "虚" preserves the tiger radical above while substituting the lower component with "业", a graphical adjustment that nonetheless upholds the character's fundamental conceptual heritage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他非常谦虚。
她身体虚弱。
不要虚度光阴。
他不追求虚名。
他感到内心空虚。
这是一个虚拟世界。
这个故事是虚构的。
她因为生病而显得虚弱。