虚 — “Void / Emptiness / Unpreparedness / Crack” in Japanese

Master (高手)きょ, こ, むな, うつ

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“Void / Emptiness / Unpreparedness / Crack” in Japanese is 虚, read kyo, ko, muna (きょ, こ, むな, うつ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 虚無 (nihility).

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What does 虚 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	虚
Meaning	Void / Emptiness / Unpreparedness / Crack
Readings	きょ, こ, むな, うつ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	虚無 (nihility)

How to read 虚

虚 is read kyo (きょ) or ko (こ) or muna (むな) or utsu (うつ) depending on the word.

Words with 虚

虚無
謙虚

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Kanji read the same way as 虚

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28