空
空 (kōng) means “empty”. It is made of 穴 + 工 and has 8 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 空 into its parts
What 空 is made of
- 穴 xué — cave
- 宀 — roof
- 丶 — dot
- 冖 mì — cover
- 八 bā — eight
- 宀 — roof
- 工 gōng — labor
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丄 shàng — above
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 穴 gives the meaning, 工 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
空 stroke order
Example sentences
我的杯子空了。Wǒ de bēizi kōng le.My cup is empty.
这个房间是空的吗？Zhège fángjiān shì kōng de ma?Is this room empty?
Words with 空
- 空气kōngqìair
- 有空儿yǒukòngrto be free
- 空调kōngtiáoair conditioner
- 空儿kòngrspare time
- 天空tiānkōngsky
- 航空hángkōngaviation
- 空间kōngjiānspace
- 填空tiánkòngto fill in the blanks
- 空闲kòngxiánspare time
- 空洞kōngdòngempty
- 空前绝后kōngqiánjuéhòuunprecedented and unrepeatable
- 空想kōngxiǎngfantasy
- 空虚kōngxūempty
- 空白kòngbáiblank
- 空隙kòngxìgap
- 太空tàikōngouter space
Also built with 穴
- 帘liánthe flag-sign of a tavern
- 究jiūto dig into
- 穷qióngpoor
- 穿chuānto wear
- 突tūsudden
- 窃qièto steal
- 窄zhǎinarrow
- 窍qiàohole
- 窗chuāngwindow
- 窜cuànto flee
- 窝wōnest
Quick facts
| Pinyin | kōng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | empty; air; sky |
| Strokes | 8 |
| Radical | 穴 (cave, #116) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 4 (exam 2025) · HSK 3 (2021) · Old HSK 4 |
Questions about 空
What does 空 mean?
空 (kōng) means “empty; air; sky”.
How many strokes does 空 have?
空 has 8 strokes.
What is the radical of 空?
The radical of 空 is 穴 (xué, “cave”), Kangxi radical number 116.
What parts make up 空?
空 is made of 穴 (cave) and 工 (labor).
Which HSK level is 空?
空 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Learn 空 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 28: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.