空っぽ

からっぽ · karappo · JLPT N2 · na-adj

empty

🫙 空 (kara = void) + ぽ (hollow thump sound): a void that rings hollow

空 (kara) means void or sky, and the ぽ ending echoes a hollow sound, like tapping an empty jar. Both halves point to nothing inside.

空 — cave radical 穴 + 工 (phonetic)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 穴 (cave, hole) gives the meaning of emptiness or hollow space, while 工 supplies the sound. The earliest sense was 'hole' or 'cavity,' which extended to 'empty,' 'sky,' and 'in vain.' The reading kòng (4th tone) specifically means 'free time' or 'vacancy.'

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