空

See also: 🈳
空 U+7A7A, 空
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7A7A
← 穹
[U+7A79]
CJK Unified Ideographs 穻 →
[U+7A7B]

Translingual

Stroke order
8 strokes

Han character

空 (Kangxi radical 116, 穴+3, 8 strokes, cangjie input 十金一 (JCM), four-corner 30101, composition ⿱穴工)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 863, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 25415
  • Dae Jaweon: page 1289, character 8
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2719, character 8
  • Unihan data for U+7A7A

Chinese

trad. 空
simp. # 空
alternative forms 𠀝
𫞹
𰁕
𢦉

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 空
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲/形声, OC *kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs) : semantic 穴 (“cave, hole”) + phonetic 工 (OC *koːŋ).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *(g/k)uŋ (“hole; orifice; inner part”). 孔 (OC *kʰloːŋʔ, “hole”) is probably the endoactive derivation of 空 (OC *kʰoːŋ, “hollow; empty”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan ཁུང (khung, “hole”), Jingpho ladi hku (“nostril”), Chepang घाङ् (gʰaŋ, “hole”), Burmese ခေါင်း (hkaung:, “cavity”), Naxi ko³³ (“cave; hole; pit”) (STEDT).

Pronunciation 1


Note:
  • kĕ̤ng - vernacular;
  • kŭng - literary.
    Note:
    • khang - vernacular;
    • khong - literary.
      Note:
      • kang1 - vernacular;
      • kong1 - literary.
        • Wu
          • (Shanghai):
            • Wugniu: 1khon
            • MiniDict: khon平
            • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): 1khon
            • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰoŋ⁵³/
        • Xiang
          • (Changsha)
            • Wiktionary: kong1 / kong4
            • Sinological IPA (key) (old-style): /kʰʊŋ³³/, /kʰʊŋ⁴⁵/
            • Sinological IPA (key) (new-style): /kʰən³³/, /kʰən⁴⁵/

  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 空
Mandarin Beijing /kʰuŋ⁵⁵/
Harbin /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Tianjin /kʰuŋ²¹/
Jinan /kʰuŋ²¹³/
Qingdao /kʰəŋ²¹³/
Zhengzhou /kʰuŋ²⁴/
Xi'an /kʰuŋ²¹/
Xining /kʰuə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /kʰũn³¹/
Ürümqi /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Chengdu /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Guiyang /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Kunming /kʰoŋ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /kʰoŋ³¹/
Hefei /kʰəŋ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /kʰuəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /kʰuŋ¹³/
Hohhot /kʰũŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /kʰoŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /kʰoŋ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /kʰoŋ³³/
Wenzhou /kʰoŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /kʰuʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /kʰan¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /kʰoŋ³³/
Xiangtan /kʰən³³/
Gan Nanchang /kʰuŋ⁴²/
Hakka Meixian /kʰuŋ⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /kʰuŋ²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /hoŋ⁵³/
Nanning /huŋ⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /huŋ⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /kʰɔŋ⁵⁵/
/kʰaŋ⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /kʰøyŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /kʰɔŋ⁵⁴/
/kɔŋ³³/ ~闲
Shantou (Teochew) /kʰoŋ³³/
/kʰaŋ³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /xoŋ²³/
/xaŋ²³/

Rime
Character 空
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 溪 (29)
Final (韻) 東 (1)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 苦紅切
Baxter khuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/kʰuŋ/
Pan
Wuyun
/kʰuŋ/
Shao
Rongfen
/kʰuŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/kʰəwŋ/
Li
Rong
/kʰuŋ/
Wang
Li
/kʰuŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren
/kʰuŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
kōng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
hung1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 空
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)
kōng
Middle
Chinese
‹ khuwng ›
Old
Chinese
/*kʰˁoŋ/
English hollow, empty; hole

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 空
Reading # 1/2
No. 4034
Phonetic
component
工
Rime
group
東
Rime
subdivision
0
Corresponding
MC rime
空
Old
Chinese
/*kʰoːŋ/

Definitions

空

  1. empty; hollow; void
    這箱子是空的。/这箱子是空的。  ―  Zhè xiāngzi shì kōng de.  ―  This box is empty.
    在盒子裡有些空瓶。 [MSC, trad.]
    在盒子里有些空瓶。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zài hézi lǐ yǒu xiē kōng píng. [Pinyin]
    There are some empty bottles in the box.
  2. exhausted; emptied
  3. open; spacious; vast
  4. quiet and still; secluded
  5. lacking substance; fictitious; fabricated
    空話/空话  ―  kōnghuà  ―  empty talk
  6. (Eastern Min) hungry
  7. air; sky; atmosphere
    空氣/空气  ―  kōngqì  ―  air; atmosphere
    天空  ―  tiānkōng  ―  the sky
    航空  ―  hángkōng  ―  aviation
    空調/空调  ―  kōngtiáo  ―  air conditioning
  8. space; outer space; cosmos; universe
    太空  ―  tàikōng  ―  outer space
    空間/空间  ―  kōngjiān  ―  space
  9. (Buddhism) sunyata; emptiness; void of the world of the senses
  10. (Taoism) emptiness and quiet
  11. in vain; for nothing
  12. only (left, remain, etc.)
  13. to exhaust
  14. to miss the target
  15. (Southern Min, Taiwanese Hakka) hole; cavity
Synonyms
  • (empty):
  • (hungry):
  • (hole):

Compounds

Pronunciation 2


Note: hung3 - rare.
Note:
  • káe̤ng - vernacular;
  • kóng - literary.

Rime
Character 空
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 溪 (29)
Final (韻) 東 (1)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 苦貢切
Baxter khuwngH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang
/kʰuŋH/
Pan
Wuyun
/kʰuŋH/
Shao
Rongfen
/kʰuŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank
/kʰəwŋH/
Li
Rong
/kʰuŋH/
Wang
Li
/kʰuŋH/
Bernard
Karlgren
/kʰuŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex
kòng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex
hung3
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 空
Reading # 2/2
No. 4045
Phonetic
component
工
Rime
group
東
Rime
subdivision
0
Corresponding
MC rime
控
Old
Chinese
/*kʰoːŋs/

Definitions

空

  1. to make empty; to impoverish
  2. to leave empty; to leave blank
  3. vacant; unoccupied; available
    有空房間嗎?/有空房间吗?  ―  Yǒu kòng fángjiān ma?  ―  Is there any vacant room?
    這個位子空著嗎? [MSC, trad.]
    这个位子空着吗? [MSC, simp.]
    Zhè ge wèizǐ kòng zhe ma? [Pinyin]
    Is this seat available?
  4. spare time; free time; leisure
    我今天有空。  ―  Wǒ jīntiān yǒu kòng.  ―  I'm free today.
    你下午有空嗎? [MSC, trad.]
    你下午有空吗? [MSC, simp.]
    Nǐ xiàwǔ yǒu kòng ma? [Pinyin]
    Are you free this afternoon?
    現在醫生沒空。 [MSC, trad.]
    现在医生没空。 [MSC, simp.]
    Xiànzài yīshēng méi kòng. [Pinyin]
    The doctor is not available now.
  5. empty space; room
    再擠個人進來行嗎?車裡還有空嗎? [MSC, trad.]
    再挤个人进来行吗?车里还有空吗? [MSC, simp.]
    Zài jǐ ge rén jìnlái xíng ma? Chē lǐ hái yǒu kòng ma? [Pinyin]
    Can you fit in another person? Is there room in the car?
  6. (of time) gap; interval; break
    Synonyms: 間隙/间隙 (jiànxì), 間隔/间隔
  7. chance; opportunity
  8. (Southern Min) zero
Synonyms
  • (zero):
  • (spare time):
  • (empty): (Cantonese) 吉

Compounds

Pronunciation 3


Definitions

空

  1. † Alternative form of 孔 (kǒng, “hole; cave; mouth”)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (空):
  • → Japanese: 空(くう) (kū)
  • → Korean: 공(空) (gong)
  • → Vietnamese: không (空)

References

Japanese

Kanji

空

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
空
そら
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
虚

⟨so1ra⟩ → */sʷora/ → /sora/

From Old Japanese, presumably from Proto-Japonic *sora.

Found in the Kojiki c. 712 CE.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

空(そら) • (sora) 

  1. the sky
    Synonym: 天 (ten)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
空
から
Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Cognate with 殻 (kara, “shell”).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) から​ [kàráꜜ] (Odaka – [2])[2]
  • IPA(key): [ka̠ɾa̠]

Prefix

空(から) • (kara) 

  1. something empty
    空(から)箱(ばこ) ― karabako ― empty box
  2. ineffectual
    空(から)振(ぶ)り ― karaburi ― in vain
  3. false
    空(から)元(げん)気(き) ― karagenki ― false vigor, bravado
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
空
くう
Grade: 1
goon

From Middle Chinese 空 (MC khuwng|khuwngH).

The Buddhist senses are a translation of Sanskrit शून्यता (śūnyatā).

Pronunciation

Noun

空(くう) • (kū) 

  1. empty air
  2. meaninglessness
  3. (Buddhism) sunyata: emptiness, vacuity, awareness, openness, thusness
  4. (Buddhism) void: one of the 五大 (godai, literally “great five”) and the highest of the five elements
Derived terms

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
空
うろ
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: うろ

(The following entry is uncreated: うろ.)

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
空
うつお
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: 虚

(The following entry is uncreated: 虚.)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
空
うつぼ
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 空 – see the following entry: うつぼ

(The following entry is uncreated: うつぼ.)

References

  1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 空 (MC khuwng|khuwngH).

Hanja

Korean numbers (edit)
0 1  →  10  → 
    Native isol.: (slang) 빵 (ppang)
    Sino-Korean: 영 (yeong), 령 (ryeong), (as digit, not number) 공 (gong)
    Hanja: 零, 空

Wikisource 空 (eumhun 빌 공 (bil gong))

  1. Hanja form? of 공 (“empty; void”).
  2. Hanja form? of 공 (“sky; air”).
  3. Hanja form? of 공 (“zero”).

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典.

Okinawan

Kanji

空

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Etymology

Kanji in this term
空
すら
Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Borrowed from Japanese 空 (sora) (or more exactly, an earlier form of it).

As remarked by Igarashi (2022),[1] the inherited meaning of this term in Ryukyuan languages is not "sky", but "treetop".

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /suɾa/

Noun

空(すら) (sura) 

  1. (literary) the sky, heavens

References

Vietnamese

Han character

空: Hán Việt readings: không (枯(khô)公(công)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5]
空: Nôm readings: không[1][2][3][4][5][6], khung[1][2][3], khỏng[3][7][6], khong[1], cung[3], khống[4]

  1. Chữ Hán form of không (“empty; void”).
  2. Chữ Hán form of không (“air; sky”).
  3. Chữ Hán form of không (“zero; none”).

Compounds

References

  1. Nguyễn (2014).
  2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. Trần (2004).
  4. Bonet (1899).
  5. Génibrel (1898).
  6. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. Hồ (1976).
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