Sky in Japanese
"sky" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
天
ten
4 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "sky". The most common choice is shown first.
Which one to use
空 is the sky, and also empty — the same character does both, which is why 空 is the Buddhist emptiness. 天 is the heavens as a realm and a power. 宙 is space, the 宙 of 宇宙 universe. 沖 is the open sea, not the sky.
Top pick
empty, sky, void, vacant, vacuum
Reading: kuu
8 strokes · peaceful, nature, mysterious
Where it comes from
Composed of '穴' (hole) and '工' (empty). Empty space like a hole.
What it carries
Sky, void, Buddhist concept of 'emptiness'. Represents infinite possibility.
Related kanji for "sky"
sky
ten · mysterious, peaceful
Pictograph indicating space above a person's head. The area above a person (大).
sky
chuu · nature
Composed of roof and reason. Reason under roof.
sky
chuu · nature
Composed of water and center. Center of water, open sea.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for sky?
The most common kanji for "sky" is 空, read as kuu. It means empty, sky, void. Related kanji: 天 (sky), 宙 (sky), 沖 (sky).
How many strokes does 空 have?
空 has 8 strokes.