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JLPT N14画 · 4 strokesradical 子freq #2052Jōyō kanji

cavity, hole, slit, very

Also: great, exceedingly

On'yomi (音読み)

  • コウ
  • ク

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • あな

Mnemonic

A child peeks into a dark hole, discovering a secret cavity filled with treasures hidden away.

About this kanji

The kanji 「孔」 primarily means "cavity" or "hole" and is often used as a noun. It appears in several important compounds, such as 孔子 (こうし), which refers to Confucius, and 瞳孔 (どうこう), meaning "pupil" (of the eye). Another example is孔雀 (くじゃく), which stands for "peafowl," a bird known for its beautiful tail feathers. Additionally, 気孔 (きこう) means "pore," like the tiny openings on skin or leaves. It is worth noting that while this kanji can indicate a physical hole, it can also be used metaphorically in more abstract contexts.

Example sentences

  • 孔が開いているのを見つけた。

    I found an opening.

Meanings across languages

English
cavity, hole, slit, very, great, exceedingly
Tiếng Việt
lỗ
日本語
孔
한국어
구멍
中文
孔
id
rong
th
โพรง
es
hueco
fr
cavité
de
Loch
pt
cavidade

Common compounds

  • 孔子こうしConfucius
  • 瞳孔どうこうpupil (of the eye)
  • 孔雀くじゃくpeafowl (incl. the male peacock, female peahen, and young peachick)
  • 気孔きこうpore, stoma, stigma
  • 細孔さいこうpore, small cavity, puncture
  • 多孔たこうporous, open (weave)
  • 鼻孔びこうnostril, naris
  • 穿孔せんこうperforation, punching, boring

Words using this kanji

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