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半空 (bàn kōng) — midair; half-empty (state)

Definition

Two distinct senses: in midair (鸟、气球悬在 ∼中) and half-empty (瓶子、杯子 ∼的). The first uses 半空 as a spatial noun in 在…中; the second is a state adjective with 的.

noun
midairhalf-empty (state)

Examples

  • 半空。
    Xiǎo niǎo zài bàn kōng zhōng fēi.
    The little bird is flying in midair.
  • 半空。
    Zhè ge píng zi shì bàn kōng de.
    This bottle is half-empty.
  • 半空。
    Qì qiú zài bàn kōng zhōng piāo zhe.
    The balloon is floating in midair.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

半bànhalf
空kōngspace/emptiness

半 means half and 空 means space or emptiness, giving midair or a half-empty state.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

Open 半 →

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
Sky & Space

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