[Day 60] 空 - sky / empty
Days 51-60
R-report
[Day 60] 空 - sky / empty
Origin / core meaning: Empty, sky. The character combines a roof-like element with components that suggest an open space — historically used for both 'empty' and 'sky' in Chinese and Japanese. In modern Japanese it commonly appears both as the standalone word meaning 'sky' (when read そら) and in many everyday compounds meaning 'empty' or relating to air/space. Usage and contexts: Very common in everyday vocabulary (e.g., 空気 'air', 空港 'airport', 空間 'space', 空っぽ 'empty'). You'll see it in weather, travel, and descriptions of emptiness or open space. Readings: On'yomi and Kun'yomi are used differently: On'yomi appears mainly in compounds; Kun'yomi appears in standalone words and some verbs.
Readings
On'yomi: **クウ** (kuu) Kun'yomi: **そら**, **あく**, **から** (sora, aku, kara)
Related words
- 空（そら / sora） — sky - 今日は**空**が青い。(Kyou wa sora ga aoi. — The sky is blue today.)
- 空気（くうき / kuuki） — air - 窓を開けて、新鮮な**空気**を入れた。(Mado o akete, shinsen na kuuki o ireta. — I opened the window and let in fresh air.)
- 空港（くうこう / kuukou） — airport - 成田**空港**から出発します。(Narita kuukou kara shuppatsu shimasu. — I'll depart from Narita Airport.)
- 空っぽ（からっぽ / karappo） — empty - 彼のバッグはもう**空っぽ**だ。(Kare no baggu wa mou karappo da. — His bag is already empty.)
- 空間（くうかん / kuukan） — space (open area) - この部屋は広い**空間**がある。(Kono heya wa hiroi kuukan ga aru. — This room has a large open space.)