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凭空 (píng kōng) — without basis, groundlessly; (used before verbs) out of nowhere, for no reason

Definition

凭空 means 'out of nowhere, with no basis at all' — modifies verbs to stress that something is groundless (accusations, rumors, fabricated stories). Stronger than just 'without reason': it implies the speaker thinks the claim has zero foundation.

adverb
without basisgroundlessly(used before verbs) out of nowherefor no reason

Examples

  • 凭空。
    Tā píng kōng xiāo shī le.
    He disappeared out of nowhere.
  • 。
    Zhè shì yí gè píng kōng niē zào de gù shi.
    This story is completely fabricated out of nothing.
  • 凭空。
    Bú yào píng kōng zhǐ zé bié rén.
    Don't accuse others without any basis.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

凭píngrely on
空kōngemptiness

凭 means to rely on and 空 means emptiness, so the sense is relying on nothing, hence groundlessly.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 憑; 凭 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
馮
馮féng憑píng
Same sound today

In the traditional form 憑, 心 relates to the heart or mind, and 馮 gives the sound. The simplified 凭 is a later abbreviation, so its visible parts are not the historical parts.

Open 凭 →

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

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.

Open 空 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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