架か空くう

か

く

う

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

fictitious; imaginary; fabricated

Only with reading かくう

Describes something that does not exist in reality, such as a story, character, plan, or claim. Often used in formal and technical contexts.

その小しょう説せつの舞ぶ台たいは架か空くうの町

まち

だ

。

The setting of that novel is a fictitious town.

彼かれの話はなしはまったくの架か空くうだった。

His story was completely fabricated.

2

noun-modifying (irregular)

aerial; overhead

Rare prenominal use meaning 'aerial' or 'overhead', as in 架空線 (overhead wire). Not used as a standalone adjective in modern Japanese.

「架か空くう線せん」という言こと葉ばで、空くう中ちゅうに張はられた電でん線せんを指さす。
The term 架空線 refers to wires strung overhead.

Usage patterns

架か空くうの〈人ひと〉a fictional character/person
この小しょう説せつの主しゅ人じん公こうは架か空くうの人じん物ぶつです。
The protagonist of this novel is a fictional character.
架か空くうの〈物もの〉a fictitious company, organization, or thing used in a scam or story
彼かれらは架か空くうの会かい社しゃを作つくってお金をだまし取とった。
They set up a fictitious company to swindle people out of money.

Kanji

架erect, frame, mount
空empty, sky, void

Related words

虚きょ構こうN1sense 1
虚構 is more literary and implies a deliberate fabrication or fiction, while 架空 is broader and can simply mean something imaginary that does not exist in reality.
仮か想そう sense 1
仮想 means 'hypothetical' or 'virtual' and is common in technical contexts like 仮想現実, whereas 架空 more generally describes something fabricated or made up, like a fictional story.

Opposites

実じつ在ざいN1sense 1
実在 means something actually exists in reality, the direct opposite of 架空, which describes something fictitious or imaginary.
リアルN1
架空 means 'fictional, imaginary', the opposite of リアル's sense of being genuine or true to life.

Don't confuse with

空くう想そうN2sense 1
空想 shares the kanji 空 with 架空 but means 'fantasy' or 'daydream' (an act of imagining), while 架空 describes something that is itself fictitious or not real.
仮か想そう
架空 describes something fictitious or made-up (as in a story), whereas 仮想 describes a hypothetical or virtual construct used for practical or technical modeling.

Word family

架か空くう取とり引ひき
fictitious transaction; bogus transaction
架か空くう索さく道どう
aerial ropeway; cableway
架か空くう請せい求きゅう
false billing; fake invoice

Built from

架か+空くう

Written forms

架空Usage100%
- かくう
  Standard kanji form; high priority.
- がくう
がくう

Etymology

From 架 (erect, construct) and 空 (sky, empty), literally 'built in the air'. The meaning 'fictitious' developed from the idea of something without a real foundation.

架か空くう資し産さん

fictitious assets

架か空くう鉄てつ道どう

elevated railway; overhead railway