Hanzi Writer

How to Write 空 (kōng/kòng) — Meaning “Empty / air / sky”

kōng/kòng HSK Level 2 8 strokes Radical: 穴

空 (kōng/kòng) means "Empty / air / sky" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 穴, and is HSK Level 2.

Rated 3.2/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 52% of HSK Level 2 characters.

Appears in 4+ common words including 天空 (tiān kōng), 空气 (kōng qì), 有空 (yǒu kòng).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 空 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 空 - kōng/kòng

Practice Writing 空 (kōng/kòng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 空 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 空

The character 空 (kōng/kòng) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 穴 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does kōng/kòng (空) Mean in Chinese?

空 means Empty / air / sky.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: kōng, kòng.

As an HSK Level 2 character, 空 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character空
Pinyinkōng / kòng (kong)
MeaningEmpty / air / sky
Strokes8
Radical穴
HSK Level2
Difficulty3.2/5

Origin of 空

空 combines the radical 穴 (cave/hole) with 工 (work), originally depicting a cave dug by human labor—an empty, hollow space. The cave radical directly suggests an opening or void, while 工 may have provided a phonetic cue or symbolized the act of hollowing out, together conveying the sense of emptiness, air, or sky.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a cave (穴) with a worker (工) inside, but when you look closer, the cave is completely empty—nothing there but air.

Common Words with 空

天空 tiān kōng
Sky
空气 kōng qì
Air / atmosphere
有空 yǒu kòng
to have free time
空白 kòng bái
blank; gap

Example Sentences

蔚蓝的天空上飘着几朵白云。

wèi lán de tiān kōng shàng piāo zhe jǐ duǒ bái yún

A few white clouds are floating in the azure sky.

清晨森林里的空气格外清新。

qīng chén sēn lín lǐ de kōng qì gé wài qīng xīn

The air in the forest is exceptionally fresh in the early morning.

如果你周末有空，我们一起去喝咖啡吧。

rú guǒ nǐ zhōu mò yǒu kòng wǒ men yì qǐ qù hē kā fēi ba

If you are free this weekend, let's go grab a coffee together.

试卷上这一页是空白的，没有印上题目。

shì juàn shàng zhè yī yè shì kòng bái de méi yǒu yìn shàng tí mù

This page of the exam paper is blank, with no questions printed on it.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
空 (current) kōng / kòng 8 穴
穵 wā 6 穴
究 jiū 7 穴
穷 qióng 7 穴
Stroke order practice for 空 - kōng/kòng

Practice Writing 空 (kōng/kòng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 空 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 空

空 is made of the radical 穴 (cave) on top and 工 (work) below. The cave radical represents a hollow space, which gives the idea of emptiness or air. Together, they visually suggest a cave where work is being done, but the hollow nature implies the space is empty.

More HSK Level 2 Characters

啊a/ā/á/ǎ/à情qíng安ān静jìng全quán色sè/shǎi长cháng/zhǎng办bàn法fǎ公gōng室shì夜yè助zhù饱bǎo报bào纸zhǐ背bēi/bèi如rú笔bǐ必bì

Characters with Radical 穴

穴xué穵wā究jiū穷qióng穸xī穹qióng穿chuān窀zhūn突tū窃qiè

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng