How to Write 窾 (kuǎn) — Meaning “hollow / empty / gap”

Imagine a cave (穴) that is completely empty, and inside it echoes a sound like 'kwan' (款). The bottom part 款 can be remembered as a box with a missing piece, symbolizing emptiness.

The top radical 穴 should be written wide enough to cover the bottom part 款. A common mistake is making the 穴 too narrow or confusing the bottom with similar characters like 歌. Follow the stroke order: first the 穴 part (dot, dot, horizontal-hook, left-falling, dot), then 款 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, horizontal-hook, left-falling, right-falling).

窾 means 'hollow' or 'empty', while 窳 (yǔ) means 'weak' or 'rotten' and has 俞 below the cave radical. 窸 (xī) refers to a slight sound and has 息 (breath) below the cave radical. Visually, the bottom parts are different: 款 vs 俞 vs 息.

窾 is a rare character not in the HSK vocabulary, mainly found in classical or literary texts. It appears in words like 窾窍 (key point or secret) and 窾言 (hollow words or empty talk), often in philosophical or technical discussions.

Common words containing 窾 include: 窾窍 (kuǎn qiào) — key point / secret / knack; 窾坎 (kuǎn kǎn) — sound of hitting something hollow; 窾言 (kuǎn yán) — Empty talk; hollow words.