空手

空手

1. to be empty-handed
2. to be unarmed
3. to be without a copy, model, diagram, blueprint, etc.

空手

1. Short for 空手道 (kōngshǒudào, “karate”).

Compound of 唐 (kara, “Tang Dynasty; China”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”), as the art was originally transmitted from China to Okinawa, and thence to mainland Japan.[1][2]

The use of 空 to spell the kara portion is an example of both phonetic ateji (当て字) and semantic jukujikun (熟字訓) to express the idea of “empty-handed” or “unarmed”.

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) からて [kàráté] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾa̠te̞]

  • Audio

    (file)

• 唐手

空手 (hiragana からて, rōmaji karate)

1. karate

Compound of 空 (kara, “empty”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).[1][2]

• Kun’yomi
  • (Tokyo) からて [kàráté] (Heiban – [0])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾa̠te̞]

  • Audio

    (file)

空手 (hiragana からて, rōmaji karate)

1. the state of being empty-handed

   参 (まい)った！出 (しゅっ)張 (ちょう)したのにお土産 (みやげ)を忘 (わす)れて、空手 (からて)で帰 (かえ)ってしまった。

   Maitta! Shutchō shita no ni omiyage o wasurete, karate de kaette shimatta.

   Oh no! I went on a trip, but I forgot to get any gifts, and returned empty-handed.

Note that this term in Japanese is a noun, but it is often translated into English as the adjective empty-handed.

Compound of 空 (aki, “empty, open”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).[1][2]

• Kun’yomi
  • IPA^(key): [a̠kʲite̞]

• 空き手, 明き手, 明手

空手 (hiragana あきて, rōmaji akite)

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the left, the left hand, the left-hand side (from the way a blind person would hold their cane in their right hand, leaving the left empty)
2. (archaic, possibly obsolete) (by extension) someone with nothing to do, someone unoccupied at the moment, an idler

   Synonyms: 手隙 (tesuki), 透き (tesuki), 手明き (teaki)

Compound of 空 (sora, “sky; out of the blue”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”).[1][2] The te changes to de as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• Kun’yomi
  • IPA^(key): [so̞ɾa̠de̞]

• 虚手

空手 (hiragana そらで, rōmaji sorade)

1. (archaic) sudden-onset pain in one's hands or arms with no clear immediate cause, such as due to arthritis or neuralgia

Compound of 空 (muna, “empty, hollow”) +‎ 手 (te, “hand”). The te changes to de as an instance of rendaku (連濁).

• Kun’yomi
  • IPA^(key): [mɯ̟ᵝna̠de̞]

• 徒手

空手 (hiragana むなで, rōmaji munade)

1. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the state of being empty-handed, bare-handed, unarmed
2. (archaic, possibly obsolete) the state of being empty-handed, doing nothing with no success or positive result

From Middle Chinese 空手 (MC kʰuŋ ɕɨu^X, literally “empty + hand”).

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) く​うしゅ [kúꜜùshù] (Atamadaka – [1])[2]
  • IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝːɕɨᵝ]

空手 (hiragana くうしゅ, rōmaji kūshu)

1. the state of being empty-handed, bare-handed, unarmed

   Synonyms: 素手 (sude), 空拳 (kūken), 手ぶら (te-bura)

空手

1. Hán tự form of không thủ (“karate”).