Dictionary › 空

空

kōng

HSK 3 Character

What 空 means

1. empty
2. air
3. sky
4. in vain

Other readings

空 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• kòngto empty; vacant; unoccupied

Example sentences

• 空号。
  Number unobtainable.
• 我有空。
  I'm free.
• 空调坏了。
  The air conditioner has got out of order.
• 您有空吗？
  Are you available?
• 你有空吗?
  Are you free?
• 这是空的。
  This is empty.

Words starting with 空

• 空调kōng tiáoair conditioning; air conditioner (including units that have a heating mode)
• 空气kōng qìair; atmosphere
• 空间kōng jiānspace; room; (fig.) scope; leeway; (astronomy) outer space
• 空闲kòng xiánleisure; spare time; (of a person) free; unoccupied; (of equipment, rooms etc) unused…
• 空白kòng báiblank space
• 空虚kōng xūhollow; emptiness; meaningless
• 空洞kōng dòngcavity; empty; vacuous
• 空隙kòng xìcrack; gap between two objects; gap in time between two events
• 空想kōng xiǎngdaydream; fantasy; to fantasize
• 空前绝后kōng qián jué hòuunprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched
• 空中kōng zhōngin the sky; in the air
• 空地kòng dìvacant land; open space
• 空前kōng qiánunprecedented
• 空旷kōng kuàngspacious and empty; void
• 空荡荡kōng dàng dàngempty; deserted
• 空军kōng jūnair force; (slang) to fail to catch anything (on a fishing trip); to get skunked
• 空空kōng kōngempty; vacuous; nothing
• 空格kòng géblank; blank space on a form; space
• 空无一人kōng wú yī rénnot a soul in sight (idiom)
• 空手kōng shǒuempty-handed; unarmed; (painting, embroidery etc) without following a model
• 空位kōng wèiempty place; room (for sb)
• 空袭kōng xíto make an air raid
• 空缺kòng quēvacancy
• 空空荡荡kōng kōng dàng dàngabsolutely empty (space); complete vacuum

Words containing 空

• 填空tián kòngto fill a job vacancy; to fill in a blank (e.g. on a form, questionnaire or exam paper)
• 天空tiān kōngsky
• 太空tài kōngouter space
• 航空háng kōngaviation
• 抽空chōu kòngto find the time to do sth
• 有空yǒu kòngto have time (to do sth)
• 时空shí kōngtime and place; world of a particular locale and era; (physics) space-time
• 上空shàng kōngthe skies above a certain place; (aviation) airspace; (Taiwan) topless
• 星空xīng kōngstarry sky; the star-studded heavens
• 夜空yè kōngnight sky
• 航空公司háng kōng gōng sīairline
• 高空gāo kōnghigh altitude
• 孙悟空Sūn Wù kōngSun Wukong, the Monkey King, character with supernatural powers in the novel Journey to…
• 悟空Wù KōngSun Wukong, the Monkey King, character with supernatural powers from the novel Journey to…
• 真空zhēn kōng(physics) vacuum; (fig.) vacuum; (slang) to not wear underwear
• 虚空xū kōngvoid; hollow; empty
• 半空中bàn kōng zhōngin midair; in the air
• 落空luò kōngto fail; to fall through; to come to nothing
• 半空bàn kōngmidair
• 海阔天空hǎi kuò tiān kōngwide sea and sky (idiom); boundless open vistas; the whole wide world…
• 升空shēng kōngto rise to the sky; to lift off; to levitate
• 一空yī kōngleaving none left; (sold etc) out
• 腾空téng kōngto rise into the air; to become airborne
• 司空见惯sī kōng jiàn guàna common occurrence (idiom)

Characters built on 工

These share the phonetic component 工 (gōng), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 功gōngmeritorious deed or service; achievement; result
• 红hóngred; popular; revolutionary
• 贡gòngto offer tribute; tribute; gifts
• 攻gōngto attack; to accuse; to study
• 巩gǒng(bound form) to fix in place; to make firm and secure
• 虹hóngrainbow
• 汞gǒngmercury (chemistry)
• 讧hòngstrife; disorder; rioting

Characters that look like 空

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 变biànto change; to become different; to transform
• 宗zōngschool; sect; purpose
• 宪xiànstatute; constitution
• 灾zāidisaster; calamity
• 穷qióngpoor; destitute; to use up
• 茔yíng(literary) a grave

Sounds the same

Read kōng, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 崆name of a mountain
• 倥ignorant; blank-minded
• 箜used in 箜篌
• 悾simple-minded; sincere