虛 meaning and stroke order
False; worthless, hollow, empty; vain
How to write 虛, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 虛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- emptiness
- void
- abstract theory or guiding principles
- empty or unoccupied
- diffident or timid
- false
How 虛 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A tiger 虍 stalking in the bushes 丱.
Radical: 虍 (tiger), shared by 13 characters on this site.
How to remember 虛
Picture a tiger 虍 crouching in the bushes 丱 above the ground 一. You look and see only empty bushes, so the danger feels hollow and unreal, which links to 虛 (xū) meaning empty or false.
虛 appears mostly in compounds, both for emptiness or weakness (虚弱, 空虚) and for modesty (虚心, 谦虚). Example: 他很谦虚。(Tā hěn qiānxū.) He is very modest.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 虛 with 處 (chù, place), since both sit under the tiger top 虍. Look at the inside: 虛 has 丱 over 一, while 處 has 夂 and 几. Also note that mainland simplified writing uses 虚, with a slightly different inner part.
Common words with 虛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 虛心 | xūxīn | open-minded; humble | HSK 5 |
| 謙虛 | qiānxū | modest; self-effacing | HSK 6 |
| 虛弱 | xūruò | weak; in poor health | HSK 7-9 |
| 空虛 | kōngxū | hollow; emptiness | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛構 | xūgòu | to make up; fabrication | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛偽 | xūwěi | false; hypocritical | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛假 | xūjiǎ | false; phony; sham | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛擬 | xūnǐ | to imagine; to make up; fictitious; theoretical; hypothetical | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛幻 | xūhuàn | imaginary; illusory | HSK 7-9 |
| 弄虛作假 | nòngxū-zuòjiǎ | to practice fraud (idiom); by trickery | HSK 7-9 |
| 虛無 | xūwú | nothingness | |
| 虛張聲勢 | xūzhāngshēngshì | (idiom) to bluff; to bluster; to make an empty show of strength | |
| 虛榮 | xūróng | vanity | |
| 心虛 | xīnxū | lacking in confidence; diffident |
Characters that contain 虛
Learning 虛 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 虛
How many strokes are in 虛?
虛 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 虛 mean?
虛 (xū) means false; worthless, hollow, empty; vain. A common word with it is 虚心 (xūxīn), meaning "open-minded; humble".
How do you pronounce 虛?
虛 is pronounced xū, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 虛?
The radical of 虛 is 虍, which carries the idea of "tiger". Dictionaries list 虛 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 虛?
虛 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 虚, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 虛 always negative?
No. In 虚伪 (xūwěi, hypocritical) and 虚假 (xūjiǎ, fake) it is negative, but in 虚心 (xūxīn) and 谦虚 (qiānxū) it praises someone for being humble and open-minded, like having an empty cup ready to learn.
How is 虛 used in technology words?
虚拟 (xūnǐ) means virtual or simulated, so you will see it in terms like 虚拟现实 (xūnǐ xiànshí, virtual reality). Here 虛 means not physically real rather than dishonest.