虚無

• Reading: きょむ
• Romaji: kyomu
• Kanji breakdown: 虚 (kyo) — empty, hollow, void; 無 (mu) — nothing, absence, non-existence
• Pronunciation: /kʲo.mɯ/

Meaning

Nihility; nothingness; a profound void or emptiness. Refers to the absence of meaning, value, or existence itself.

A philosophical and literary noun associated with nihilism and existential emptiness. It describes not merely physical emptiness but the absence of meaning or purpose. The companion term 虚無感 (a pervasive sense of emptiness or nihilism) is common in literary and psychological contexts. Collocates with 感じる (to feel) and 漂う (to drift in).

Examples

1. 長い闘病の末に彼は深い虚無を感じ、何事にも意欲を持てなくなった。 After a long battle with illness, he felt a profound emptiness and lost the will to do anything.
2. この詩は生の儚さと虚無を静かな言葉で表現している。 This poem expresses the transience of life and the void of nothingness in quiet words.
3. 人生に目的を見失ったとき、人は虚無に囚われることがある。 When people lose their sense of purpose in life, they can become trapped in nihility.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, literature, psychology

Tone: melancholic

Origin & History

Compound of 虚 (empty, hollow, void) and 無 (nothing, absence, non-existence). Together they describe total emptiness — not just physical but ontological and existential.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Intellectual