虚

虛
xū
#1,069 most
frequent character
emptiness, void

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

虚 pairs 虍 hǔ, which supplies the sound, with 业, an empty part that was once 丘, a small hill. Its first meaning was a large mound. The meaning empty or void was borrowed for its sound, then grew to modest, fake, and virtual.

虚 as a component in other characters

sound5 characters
picture1 character

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