Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 天空 | tiānkōng | /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰiːn⁵⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 天 | tiān | /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰi̯ɑɻ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 天兒 / 天儿) |
The word refers to the atmosphere above a given point, specifically as it is seen from the surface of the Earth, such as the place where the sun, moon, stars and clouds are visible.
What does it mean word for word?
天空 is a compound consisting of 天, meaning 'sky' or 'heaven' and 空, meaning 'empty' or 'space'.
Which one should you use?
While 天 can mean 'sky', it is more frequently used in compounds or to mean 'day' or 'heaven' in a spiritual sense. In contrast, 天空 is the standard noun for the physical sky. The term 苍穹 specifically refers to the vast sky or the vault of heaven, and 天际线 is used specifically to refer to a skyline.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The Dungan forms тян, асмон and асмар are used in the Dungan language.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 天空 is tiānkōng (/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/).
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 天空乌云密布。The sky is full of dark clouds.This example shows how to describe a sky filled with dark clouds using 天.Tatoeba #2052704 by sadhen, translation #462922 by lukaszpp
- 天上滿是飛機。The sky was filled with airplanes.This example illustrates the sky being filled with airplanes using 天.Tatoeba #6131312 by verdastelo9604, translation #2259383 by _undertoad
- 天空布满星辰。The sky is full of stars.This example describes a sky full of stars using 天.Tatoeba #7772580 by jiangche, translation #18278 by CK
- 今天的蓝天真美丽！The sky today is truly beautiful!
- 在这片蓝天下，我感到无比的宁静。In this blue sky, I feel immense tranquility.
- 仰望苍穹，我仿佛看到了无限的希望。Gazing at the vault of heaven, I seem to glimpse boundless hope.
- 夜空中的星星在苍穹下闪烁着光芒。The stars in the night sky shimmer in the vault of heaven.
- 85 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Xiaowen are walking in a park looking up.
- 浩然 Haoran你看，今天的天空很蓝。Nǐ kàn, jīntiān de tiānkōng hěn lán.Look, the sky is very blue today.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen没错，而且没有一片云。Méicuò, érqiě méiyǒu yī piàn yún.That's right, and there isn't a single cloud.
- 浩然 Haoran这种天气最适合散步了。Zhè zhǒng tiānqì zuì shìhé sànbù le.This kind of weather is perfect for a walk.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也这么觉得，浩然。Wǒ yě zhème juéde, Hàorán.I think so too, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sky” translations and entries 天空, 天, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 天, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
