填空 (tián kòng) — to fill in blanks (on a test or form); to fill… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A separable verb meaning 'to fill in (a blank)'. Most commonly used for test items (填空题), but also for filling a job vacancy (填补职位空缺).

verb

to fill in blanks (on a test or form)to fill a vacancy

Examples

填空。
Kǎo shì de dì yī bù fen shì tián kòng tí.
The first part of the exam is fill-in-the-blank questions.
。
Qǐng nǐ zài měi gè kòng gé lǐ tián yí gè cí.
Please fill in one word in each blank.
填空。
Zhè cì zhāo pìn yào tián kòng sān gè zhí wèi.
This recruitment drive needs to fill three positions.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

填 gives fill and 空 gives vacancy or blank, together meaning fill in blanks.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

土真填

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

真

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

填 combines 土 (soil) with 真, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

穴工空

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave, hole

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng空kōng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 2.0 Level 4

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