孔

kǒng
HSK 6
#1,287 most
frequent character
aperture, opening, hole
noun
Measure words:个 gè

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

孔 shows an infant 子 at a breast 乚, so it first meant an infant feeding at the breast. The meaning 'hole' was borrowed for its sound alone, with no link to the picture. From that came a measure word for holes.

Drawn as: an infant; a breast

孔 as a component in other characters

sound2 characters
吼芤

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Example Sentences

墙上有一个大孔。
qiáng shàngyǒu yígè dà kǒng 。
There is a big hole in the wall.
我在纸上打了一个孔。
wǒzài zhǐ shàng dǎ le yígè kǒng 。
I made a hole in the paper.
这个管子有一个小孔。
zhègè guǎnzǐ yǒu yígè xiǎo kǒng 。
This pipe has a small opening.

Words with similar meanings

洞dòng
hole
洞 is a more general term for hole or cave, used in a broader context.
缺口quēkǒu
gap
缺口 specifically refers to a gap or notch, often used in structural contexts.

Homophones

恐kǒng
afraid, frightened, to fear

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HSK 6
All words for the HSK 6 test