Learn a Chinese Character - 空

1. Character Basics

Radical: 穴 (xué, cave radical)

Stroke Count: 8

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kōng (first tone), kòng (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Empty, void, hollow, sky, space, air

4. Common Words

• 天空 (tiānkōng) - sky
• 空气 (kōngqì) - air
• 空间 (kōngjiān) - space
• 空間 (kōngjiān) - space (traditional Chinese)
• 空气 (kōngqì) - air
• 有空 (yǒu kòng) - to have free time
• 填空 (tiánkòng) - to fill in the blanks
• 空白 (kòngbái) - blank, empty space
• 空话 (kōnghuà) - empty words, empty talk

5. Grammar & Usage

As an adjective:

• 表示里面没有东西或人 - to indicate that there is nothing or no one inside
• 天空很蓝 - The sky is very blue
• 房间是空的 - The room is empty

As a noun:

• 表示空间或天空 - to indicate space or sky
• 我需要更多空间 - I need more space
• 飞机在天空中飞 - The plane is flying in the sky

As a verb (when pronounced kòng):

• 表示腾出来、使空 - to make empty, to free up
• 请把座位空出来 - Please empty the seat
• 你什么时候有空？ - When do you have free time?

6. Cultural Background

在中国文化中，"空"有深刻的哲学内涵。在佛教中，"空"是一个重要概念，表示一切事物的本质是空性的，没有固定不变的实体。这一概念对中国的艺术、文学和日常生活都有深远影响。例如，在山水画中，留白（故意留出空白）是一种重要的艺术表现手法，体现了"以空为美"的审美理念。

In Chinese culture, "空" has profound philosophical connotations. In Buddhism, "空" (emptiness) is an important concept, indicating that the essence of all things is emptiness, without fixed and unchanging entities. This concept has had a profound impact on Chinese art, literature, and daily life. For example, in landscape painting, leaving blank spaces (intentionally leaving empty spaces) is an important artistic expression technique, embodying the aesthetic concept of "beauty in emptiness".

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

"空"字由"穴"（cave）和"工"（work）组成。你可以想象在洞穴里工作，洞穴里是空的，这样就能记住"空"的意思了。另外，"穴"在上面，"工"在下面，就像一个人在洞穴里工作，洞穴里是空的空间。

The character "空" is composed of "穴" (cave) and "工" (work). You can imagine working in a cave, which is empty, to remember the meaning of "空". Additionally, "穴" is on top and "工" is below, like a person working in a cave, which is an empty space.