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虚ろ (うつろ, utsuro) Japanese meaning: cavity | Kotomora
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大おお
きな
虚うつ
ろ
が
あっ
た
。
There was a large hollow in the trunk of the old tree.
A small animal had taken up residence inside the hollow.
Usage patterns 目め が 虚うつ ろになる for one's eyes to go blank/vacant
His eyes had gone vacant from exhaustion.
〈 物もの 〉 の 中なか が 虚うつ ろになっている for the inside of something to be hollow/empty
The inside of that tree had become hollow.
虚うつ ろな 声こえ で 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to say/do something in a hollow, lifeless voice
She called out the name in a hollow voice.
心こころ が 虚うつ ろになる for one's heart/mind to feel empty or numb
After losing someone dear to him, his heart felt hollow.
Kanji 虚 void, emptiness, unpreparedness Related words 空洞 is a technical or formal term for a physical hollow or cavity, while 虚ろ can describe the same physical emptiness in a more literary, evocative way.
空虚 is a more abstract, philosophical term for emptiness of meaning or purpose, while 虚ろ more often describes the visible emptiness in a person's eyes, voice, or expression.
空っぽ is a casual, everyday word for something being empty (like a box or stomach), while 虚ろ is literary and often carries emotional or existential weight.
虚無 refers to a deep, almost philosophical nihilistic void, while 虚ろ is used more concretely to describe a vacant look or hollow feeling in the moment.
虚ろ is an adjective/noun describing a vacant, blank look or state (e.g. 目が虚ろだ), whereas 空ける (うつける) is the verb describing the process of becoming that way.
Written forms 虚うつ ろ Usage 43%
Standard kanji spelling for both the physical cavity and the abstract emptiness senses.
うつろ Usage 55%
空うつ ろ Usage 2%
Alternate kanji spelling, also common; emphasizes emptiness or hollowness.
ウツロ Usage 1%
洞うつ ろ
Etymology The word うつろ is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 虚 (empty, void) and 空 (sky, empty) are used for their meanings. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it may be related to the verb 移ろう (うつろう, to change, to shift), suggesting a sense of transience or hollowness.
Rarely used kanji form; 洞 suggests a cave-like hollow.
洞うつろ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used single-kanji form; may be confused with other readings.
