虚

• Pinyin: xū
• Hanzi breakdown: 虚 = 虍 (tiger) + 业 (empty beneath; hollowness)

Meaning

Empty; false; weak. As an adjective, hollow, modest, or physically weak.

A versatile character describing emptiness, falseness, or weakness. Used for abstract concepts like humility, physical conditions like weakness, and philosophical ideas about emptiness versus substance.

Examples

1. 他最近身体很虚需要调养。 He’s been feeling weak lately and needs to recuperate.
2. 做人要虚心不要骄傲。 Be humble and don’t be arrogant.
3. 这些虚假的承诺毫无意义。 These empty promises are meaningless.

Usage Guide

Context: health, character, philosophy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 大病初愈身体还很虚。(Just recovered from a serious illness, the body is still weak.)
• 虚怀若谷才能不断进步。(Only by being humble like an empty valley can one continuously improve.)

Don't Say

• 这个桌子很虚 — use 空 for physical emptiness; 虚 is for abstract or physical weakness

Origin & History

虚 = 虍 + 业 (tiger skin over empty frame)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal