How do you say "empty" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "empty" is 空っぽな (Karappo na). It is a adjective pronounced "kah-rah-ppoh nah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

空っぽな is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as Karappo na, it sounds roughly like "kah-rah-ppoh nah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

このコップは空っぽです。

Kono koppu wa karappo desu.

This glass is empty.

Usage notes

Karappo na (空っぽな) means completely empty, with nothing inside at all. It is slightly more emphatic than just saying nani mo nai (nothing in it). It is used for containers, rooms, and figuratively for a feeling of emptiness.

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Questions about 空っぽな

How do you pronounce 空っぽな?

空っぽな is romanised as Karappo na. Say it roughly like "kah-rah-ppoh nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 空っぽな formal or casual?

空っぽな is a na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is 空っぽな written in Japanese?

空っぽな is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.