Refers to an unoccupied room or apartment available for rent. Common in real estate contexts.
This apartment building still has a vacant unit.
There is one vacant room in this apartment.
Dated term for a physical gap or opening between objects. Modern Japanese more often uses 隙間 (すきま) or 空き (あき).
The wind comes in through the gap in the door.
A gap formed between the boards.
I'm looking for a vacant room near the station.
隙間 is the common modern word for a physical gap or crevice, while 空き間 in this sense is dated and rarely used today.
空き is the plainer, more current word for an open space or gap, whereas 空き間 sounds old-fashioned for the same idea.
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
Rarely used kanji form.
Irregular okurigana usage; Normally read くうかん.
Compound of 空き (あき, 'empty') + 間 (ま, 'room' or 'space'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.