空气
kōngqì
The Chinese word for air is 空气 (kōngqì).
空气 refers to the physical mixture of gases that makes up the Earth's atmosphere. It is a mass noun, which means it is typically used without a plural form.
Meaning: mixture of gases making up the atmosphere of the Earth (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The second character, 气, refers to gas, air or steam.
Which one should you use?
Use 空气 when referring to the physical atmosphere or gas. Do not use 空气 to mean 'air' in the sense of a melody or a musical tune.
How do you pronounce it?
kōngqì
Did you know?
- The character 气 (qì) is the same character used to describe 'energy' or 'vital force' in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy.
- While 空气 means air, the word for 'empty' is 空 (kōng), which also refers to the Buddhist concept of 'sunyata' or voidness.
- To describe 'air conditioning', Chinese uses the phrase 空调 (kōngtiáo), which is a shortened version of 'air temperature adjustment'.
Examples in context
- 空气有点冷。The air felt a little cold.This sentence shows how to describe the temperature of the 空气.Tatoeba #1420669 by sadhen, translation #21979 by Swift
- 空气是无形的。Air is invisible.This sentence describes the invisible nature of 空气.Tatoeba #12880280 by Enzo, translation #18231 by papabear
- 我需要新鲜空气。I need fresh air.This sentence expresses a need for fresh 空气.Tatoeba #10695957 by GlossaMatik, translation #2825567 by CM
- 请注意室内空气质量。Please pay attention to the indoor air quality.
- 保持室内空气新鲜很重要。It's important to keep the indoor air fresh.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are taking a walk in a park.
- 雨婷 Yuting这里的空气很清新。Zhèlǐ de kōngqì hěn qīngxīn.The air here is very fresh.
- 志强 Zhiqiang是的，感觉很舒服。Shì de, gǎnjué hěn shūfú.Yes, it feels very comfortable.
- 雨婷 Yuting城市里的空气不太好。Chéngshì lǐ de kōngqì bú tài hǎo.The air in the city is not very good.
- 志强 Zhiqiang所以我们经常来公园。Suǒyǐ wǒmen jīngcháng lái gōngyuán.That's why we often come to the park.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
