expression, godan verb (-ku)
get a hole; be pierced; have a hole form
Describes a hole appearing or being made in something, often unintentionally. Can be used literally for objects or figuratively for gaps in schedules, arguments, etc.
靴下に穴が開いた。
My sock got a hole in it.
壁に小さな穴が開いている。
There is a small hole in the wall.
Standard kanji spelling for 'a hole opens/forms'.
Variant using 空く; also common, though 開く is more frequent for this expression.
Kana spelling; used when the kanji choice is not important or for clarity.
Transitive counterpart: 'to make a hole (in something)'. 穴が開く is intransitive, focusing on the hole appearing.
Phrase composed of 穴 (hole) + が (subject marker) + 開く (to open). Literally 'a hole opens', extended to mean a hole forms or appears.