空 kōng — air; sky; empty; in vain; emptied; leisure
今天的天空特别蓝。Jīn tiān de tiān kōng tè bié lán.The sky is especially blue today.
Common words: 空气 (kōng qì)、有空儿 (yǒu kòng r)、天空 (tiān kōng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "leisure"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "leisure", including 空 (kōng), 闲 (xián). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "leisure" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 空 (kōng), 闲 (xián) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span kōng, xián — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 空 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 空 kōngair; sky; empty; in vain; emptied; leisureUseful words: 空气, 有空儿
- 闲 xiánto stay idle; to be unoccupied; not busy; leisure; enclosureUseful words: 休闲, 空闲
Common words for these 2 "leisure" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 空 (kōng) — so "leisure" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "leisure".
闲 xián — to stay idle; to be unoccupied; not busy; leisure; enclosure
退休以后，爷爷的空闲时间多了起来。Tuì xiū yǐ hòu, yé ye de kòng xián shí jiān duō le qǐ lái.After retiring, Grandpa has more free time.
Common words: 休闲 (xiū xián)、空闲 (kòng xián)、闲话 (xián huà)
All 2 characters
Open 空、闲 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.