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空空如也 (kōng kōng rú yě) — completely empty, absolutely empty (of a place, container, or state)

Definition

Literary idiom meaning 'completely empty' — stronger and more written than the plain adjective 空. Used for places, containers, or a person's heart/mind feeling hollowed out.

idiom
completely emptyabsolutely empty (of a place, container, or state)

Examples

  • ，空空如也。
    Tā bān zǒu yǐ hòu, fáng jiān lǐ kōng kōng rú yě.
    After he moved out, the room was completely empty.
  • 空空如也，。
    Qián bāo lǐ kōng kōng rú yě, yì fēn qián dōu méi yǒu le.
    The wallet is absolutely empty — not a single cent left.
  • ，空空如也。
    Tīng le zhè ge xiāo xi, tā xīn lǐ gǎn dào kōng kōng rú yě.
    After hearing this news, he felt completely empty inside.

Origin

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.

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 →

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 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

也 originally showed a child crying with an open mouth, with the arms later dropped and the parts fused.

Open 也 →
Appears in
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