空
sora[so̞ɾa̠]
The Japanese word for skies is 空 (sora).
Did you know?
- In Japanese, 空手 (karate) literally translates to 'empty hand', utilizing the 'empty' reading of the character 空.
- The Buddhist meaning of 空, referring to 'emptiness' or 'void', is a translation of the Sanskrit term śūnyatā.
- The word 空 is used in the term 空想 (kūsō) to mean 'daydreaming' or 'fantasy', literally suggesting the mind is floating in the sky.
Examples in context
- 空に白い雲が浮かんでいます。Sora ni shiroi kumo ga ukande imasu.White clouds are floating in the sky.
- 夜の空には星がたくさんあります。Yoru no sora ni wa hoshi ga takusan arimasu.There are many stars in the night sky.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking out the window on a clear day.
- 結衣 Yui見て、今日の空はすごくきれいだよ！Mite, kyō no sora wa sugoku kirei da yo!Look, the sky is so beautiful today!
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。とても澄んだ空だね。Hontō da. Totemo sunda sora da ne.You're right. It's a very clear sky.
- 結衣 Yui散歩に行きたくなるような空だね。Sanpo ni ikitaku naru yō na sora da ne.It's the kind of sky that makes you want to go for a walk.
- 健太 Kentaそうだね、少し歩いてこようか。Sō da ne, sukoshi aruite koyō ka.True, shall we go for a little walk?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 空, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 空, CC BY-SA 4.0.
