空虚

空虛

kōngxū

adjective HSK 7-9 #7,679

Meanings

他感到内心非常空虚。

Tā gǎndào nèixīn fēicháng kōngxū.

He felt extremely empty inside.

没有目标的生活是空虚的。

Méiyǒu mùbiāo de shēnghuó shì kōngxū de.

A life without goals is hollow.

usage

空虚 primarily describes emotional or spiritual emptiness — a lack of meaning or purpose. It is not used for physically empty spaces (use 空的 for that).

memory

空 (empty) + 虚 (void/unreal) = doubly empty = a deep sense of inner emptiness.

空 kōng

虚 xū