Translation guide
The English word 'void' can refer to emptiness, a legal nullification, or a feeling of loss. This guide helps learners express these concepts naturally in Japanese.
Describing a physical or metaphorical empty space, nothingness, or vacuum.
Refers to emptiness or hollowness, often in a metaphorical or emotional sense.
Making something legally invalid or without effect.
Expressing an emotional void left by someone or something.
A common idiomatic expression meaning 'as if a hole has been opened', describing a sense of emptiness.
Directly translating 'void' as 空虚 (kuukyo) for emotional emptiness can sound overly dramatic or literary. The idiomatic phrase ぽっかりと穴が空いたよう is more natural in everyday conversation.
His heart was void.
Conveys nothingness or nihilism, often used in philosophical contexts.
I feel the void of the universe.
Literally 'blank space', used for empty areas or gaps, including in memory or records.
There is a void in my memory.
Specifically a physical vacuum, like in science.
Create a void (vacuum) state.
They voided the contract.
The noun form meaning 'invalid' or 'null and void'.
This contract is void.
Means to cancel or revoke, often used for voiding a decision or order.
The court voided the ruling.
Since he left, I feel a void in my heart.
A noun meaning 'sense of loss', often used for emotional voids.
After her death, I was overcome by a deep void.