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空闲 (kòng xián) — (adjective) free, idle, not busy; (noun) free time, leisure

Definition

空闲 is mainly a noun for 'free time' (e.g. 有空闲, 空闲时间), but also works as an adjective meaning 'free, not busy'. 闲 alone focuses on the 'not busy' state; 空闲 emphasizes the time itself.

adjective
freeidlenot busy
noun
free timeleisure
Easily confused

Examples

  • 空闲，。
    Zhōu mò wǒ bǐ jiào kòng xián, kě yǐ yì qǐ chī fàn.
    I'm relatively free on weekends; we can have a meal together.
  • 空闲。
    Tā lì yòng kòng xián dú le hěn duō shū.
    He used his free time to read many books.
  • ，。
    Děng nǐ yǒu kòng xián le, wǒ men zài liáo.
    Let's talk again when you have free time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

空kōngfree
闲xiánidle

From 空 (free) and 闲 (idle), both pointing to time that is not busy.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 閒; 闲 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 閒 puts 月 (moon) inside 門 (door), as if moonlight peeks through a door; this picture gives the idea of a gap or space. The simplified 闲 is a later abbreviation.

Open 闲 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 5Time (Abstract)

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