天 tiān — sky; heaven; day
今天的天空很蓝，风也很轻。Jīn tiān de tiān kōng hěn lán, fēng yě hěn qīng.The sky is very blue today, and the wind is gentle.
Common words: 今天 (jīn tiān)、明天 (míng tiān)、昨天 (zuó tiān)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "sky"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "sky", including 天 (tiān), 空 (kōng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "sky" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 天 (tiān), 空 (kōng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span tiān, kōng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 天 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 天 tiānsky; heaven; dayUseful words: 今天, 明天
- 空 kōngair; sky; empty; in vain; emptied; leisureUseful words: 空气, 有空儿
Common words for these 2 "sky" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 天 (tiān) — so "sky" 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 "sky".
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)
All 2 characters
Open 天、空 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.