Definition
空空 is a reduplicated form of 空 (empty). In everyday Chinese, it describes a place or container that is completely empty — nothing inside. In Buddhist philosophy, it refers to the concept of 'emptiness of emptiness' (śūnyatā of śūnyatā), a deep insight that even the notion of emptiness itself is not ultimately real. At HSK 7 you're most likely to encounter it in philosophical or literary texts.
r.f.
(colloquial) completely emptybarewith nothing inside(Buddhist philosophy) emptiness of emptinessthe unreality of all phenomenaincluding the concept of emptiness itself
Examples
- 空空,。Wūzi lǐ kōng kōng, shénme yě méiyǒu.Inside the room, it's completely empty — nothing at all.
- ‘空空’,。Fójiào jiǎng ‘kōng kōng’, shì gèng gāo céngcì de juéwù.Buddhism teaches the 'emptiness of emptiness', which is a higher level of enlightenment.
- ,空空。Kǎo wán shì hòu, wǒ de dànǎo kōng kōng yí piàn.After the exam, my mind was completely blank.
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