虚
void, vacant; false, falsehood; futile
Kanji 1156
Thank you for visiting this Character Home Page. Below you'll find a synopsis of the essay. If you wish to read the full text, the PDF of the essay is available for purchase to the right.
In 虚 we find a hollow space, though it’s often filled with lies. As such, it pops up in words about bluffs, false fronts, and vanity, as well as emptiness, both emotional and physical. When an effort is in vain, leading to nothing, 虚 again enables us to express that. Learn about its surprising relationship to 実. Also find out why you should never choose a spouse who has a 虚業!
Revision History:
Nov. 26, 2024: p. 6: Changed the nouns in the definitions and breakdown of 謙虚 to adjectives.
Feb. 8, 2022:
- p. 1: Updated the photo caption to mirror changes in Henshall’s etymology.
- p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and the Sears link.
- p. 9: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.
Feb. 17, 2017:
- p. 2: Fixed a broken link.
- p. 3: Deleted an extraneous quotation mark
Oct. 5, 2012: Originally published.
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