虚 xū false
false; empty; emptiness
How it came to be
The tiger block, a tiger's head, over a mound with nothing on it. A high place a tiger has left, the hollow behind it. Empty, hollow and false all come from that.
How it is used
- 虚 spans 'false/empty' and, in one key compound, 'humble' - context tells you which.
- 谦虚 qiānxū (modest, of a person's attitude) is a compliment, while 虚伪 xūwěi (hypocritical/fake) and 虚假 xūjiǎ (false, of information or promises) are criticisms - don't mix the positive and negative senses up.
- 虚心 xūxīn (open-minded, receptive to criticism, e.g. 虚心接受意见 xūxīn jiēshòu yìjiàn) is a common phrase in feedback and self-improvement talk.
- 空虚 kōngxū describes an emotional emptiness or hollowness (内心空虚 - feeling empty inside), distinct from the physical 空 kōng (empty space).