How to Write 虚 (xū) — Meaning “Empty; false; weak.”

Picture a tiger (虍) sitting on a hill (丘), but the hill is completely empty — there is nothing there. The tiger’s roar sounds like "xū" echoing in the void, reminding you that 虚 means "empty" or "false." This vivid image links the shape to the meaning.

Write the top part 虍 first: horizontal stroke, then vertical, horizontal, left-falling, and finally the hook stroke. Then add the bottom 丘: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, and horizontal. A common mistake is to confuse the bottom with 兵 or 斤 — remember that 丘 has a vertical stroke that cuts through the middle horizontal.

All three share the top radical 虍, but their bottom parts differ. 虚 has 丘 (hill) below, 虐 has 匕 (dagger) — meaning "cruel" — and 虑 has 心 (heart) — meaning "to consider." Visually, 虚 is wider and more balanced, while 虐 has a sharp dagger and 虑 has a heart shape at the bottom.

虚 appears in common HSK 5 words like 谦虚 (modest), 虚心 (open-minded), and 虚弱 (weak). In Chinese culture, 谦虚 is a highly valued virtue—being humble or empty of ego—and it reflects the Confucian ideal of self-cultivation. The same character also means "false" in words like 虚假 (fake), so context is important.

Common words containing 虚 include: 谦虚 (qiān xū) — modest; humble; 虚心 (xū xīn) — Modest; open-minded.; 虚弱 (xū ruò) — Weak; frail..