虚 xū false
false; empty; emptiness; modest
How it came to be
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
The oldest form puts a tiger head over a hill: the hill gives the meaning, a big mound, and the tiger head gives the sound.
用法
- 虚 spans 'false/empty' and, in one key compound, 'humble': context tells you which.
- 谦虚 qiānxū (modest, of a person's attitude) is a compliment, while 虚伪 xūwěi (hypocritical/fake) and 虚假 xūjiǎ (false, of information or promises) are criticisms: don't mix the positive and negative senses up.
- 虚心 xūxīn (open-minded, receptive to criticism, e.g. 虚心接受意见 xūxīn jiēshòu yìjiàn) is a common phrase in feedback and self-improvement talk.
- 空虚 kōngxū describes an emotional emptiness or hollowness (内心空虚: feeling empty inside), distinct from the physical 空 kōng (empty space).