adjective / verb HSK 5
Traditional 虛
empty · void · weak · timid · false · in vain
Meaning
虚 describes emptiness or lack of substance, both physical and abstract. It can refer to something hollow or unoccupied, a person's weak physical state, or falseness and insincerity. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it describes deficiency in the body's qi or vitality.
Usage
虚 appears frequently in compound words and Classical Chinese expressions. Common in medical contexts (虚弱 'weak'), philosophical texts (虚无 'nothingness'), and everyday speech when describing modesty (谦虚) or unreality. Often contrasted with 实 (solid, real).
Examples
- 01他最近身体很虚，需要好好休息。, .He's been physically weak recently and needs to rest well.
- 02做人要谦虚，不能太骄傲。, '.One should be modest and not too arrogant.
Common collocations
- 虚弱weak, in poor health
- 谦虚modest, humble
- 虚伪hypocritical, false
- 虚心open-minded, modest
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 虛 contains the tiger radical 虍 on top and 丘 (hill) below, suggesting a tiger's empty lair on a hill. The simplified form 虚 uses 业 instead.