Pronunciation: 空车
- Thread starter yuechu
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Yes. 空车 = "empty" car = "This is an empty car" = "Vacant/for rent".
kong1 also has the meaning of vacent.
Maybe it's not reasonable, but normally people say:
kong1: 空车, 空屋, 屋里面是空的.
kong4: 空地, 空缺, 空额, 空当, 空白.
You can see, when there is a concrete thing with a enclosed space, we use kong1.
Maybe it's not reasonable, but normally people say:
kong1: 空车, 空屋, 屋里面是空的.
kong4: 空地, 空缺, 空额, 空当, 空白.
You can see, when there is a concrete thing with a enclosed space, we use kong1.
This is an interesting question. I hear people say both kong1fang2 and kong4fang2, and I think each has a point. For both 空kong1 and 空kong4 have the meaning of vacant/vacancy, though the former is adjective and the latter is a noun (as explained in dictionary). However, in these words I see 空kong4 can also be an adjective: 空地 空座 空场(this might be dialectic) where I would consider kong1 as incorrect, or at least unnatural. In the case of 空车, however, kong1 is definitely the natural choice. 空房 is a little in between, and either would do IMO. Actually 空房 is not a very common expression in Chinese, I think 空房间 sounds better, where 空 should be pronounced as kong1, or 空余房间，where 空 would be kong4.
Edit: I just noticed Super XW's answer above. Actually it might have something to do with the tone of the following/ending character. 空车，空屋，空窗，etc, all end with tone 1, and 空 is only acceptable as kong1. In words that end with 3 or 4 （空地，空座，空位，空当）空 should be pronounced as kong4. As for words ending with tone 2... well like 空房 or 空床 I think both are pronounced but maybe kong4 is somewhat preferred.
This rule doesn't apply to 空白/空缺 as here 空 is a noun (not adjective+noun but noun+noun structure), thus kong4.
Edit again (please disregard the above)- No, I was deceived. I just thought about 空碗 空瓶 空盒 空井 etc. and had to agree with Super XW. We use kong1 when referring to the physical status of a container, and kong4 when expressing that something is not occupied/used/claimed. Therefore 空房 can be pronounced either way depending on what you want to stress- that the rooms (房间 is better here) or suites are empty (kong1) or that nobody is living or using them (kong4).
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It is interesting that we picked the tone subconsciously. Although we've been following some guidelines, we never noticed that. Even being asked, after thinking, few people can tell the guideline.
That's surprising.
I think what confused or led people here to put that guideline temporarily aside is the original question of the thread: 空车 kong1, which is technically not an "empty" car for it certainly has a Taxi driver, not to mention seats and all necessary equipment. 空閨 kong1 is not an "empty" room either, for it has furniture and is occupied by a person (woman), perhaps with maids. 空巢家庭 kong1 does not mean nobody in the family. The parents actually still live there. Those examples of 空 kong1 refer to the absence of an implied, specific object (e.g., passenger in 空车, husband in 空閨, children in 空巢家庭).
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