How to say 'Empty' in Japanese | 空く

word

Meaning

Empty

Reading

Kanji

空Sky, Empty

Explanation

The Japanese verb '空く (すく)' means 'to become empty' or 'to thin out'. It is often used to describe a place or space that becomes less crowded or occupied. For example: The train car became empty「電車が空いた」(でんしゃがすいた). The restaurant is not crowded「レストランが空いている」(レストランがすいている). This verb can also be used metaphorically to describe a situation where something becomes less intense or less frequent, such as 'the rain let up'「雨が空いた」(あめがすいた). It's important to note that '空く' is often used in its te-form '空いて' to describe a state of being empty or not crowded.

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

2851

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting