WHOLE CHARACTER
空
empty; containing nothing; the sky; the air; in vain; for nothing
空 reads kōng for empty and the sky (空气, 天空), and kòng for unoccupied space or time (有空).
ZDIC: 形声，从穴、工声 — the cave side over 工 as the sound side.
Character Familiestop / bottom
空
empty; containing nothing; the sky; the air; in vain; for nothing
空 reads kōng for empty and the sky (空气, 天空), and kòng for unoccupied space or time (有空).
GF0025–2021 character list · 二级One character pageAll readings and linked senses stay together.
WHOLE GLYPH & STRUCTURE
top / bottom
ZDIC: 形声，从穴、工声 — the cave side over 工 as the sound side.
TOP: THE CAVE/HOLE SIDE — AN EMPTY HOLLOW SPACE
穴
cave; hole
Standalone meaning is kept separate from its role in other characters.
In 空: top: the cave/hole side — an empty hollow space Shown with its documented or clearly limited role.
BOTTOM: THE SOUND SIDE 工 (GŌNG)
工
work; labor; skill
Standalone meaning is kept separate from its role in other characters.
In 空: bottom: the sound side 工 (gōng) kōng shares the final -ong and tone 1 with gōng; the initials differ (k-/g-). kòng shifts the tone further.
Tone 1
- empty; containing nothing
- the sky; the air
- in vain; for nothing
- 空气air
- 天空the sky
- 空话empty talk
Tone 4
- free; unoccupied (time, room, seat)
- to leave empty; to vacate
- a vacancy; an unfilled post
- 有空to have free time
- 空地open ground; a vacant lot
- 空缺a vacancy
Tone 3dictionary
- hole (equal to 孔)
ZDIC header reading kǒng is an old equal-to-孔 dictionary use; not a modern common reading, so it gets no learner words.
No common modern word is offered for this reading; the dictionary sense remains in Sources.
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