虚 (xū) is a Chinese character meaning “empty”. It is written from 虍 (tiger top (radical)) and 业 (trade; occupation), one enclosing the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “empty; false; modest”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
虍 + 业
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-5 虍 / 6-10 业）
Memory aid
A tiger (虍) crouches over the workshop (业) below — every worker runs off, and the place is left empty.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 虚拟xū nǐvirtual; fictional虚 = xū
- 虚伪xū wěihypocritical; insincere虚 = xū
Go deeper
All readings
empty; false
empty; void; false, unreal; weak; modest
空；不真实的；虚弱；谦虚、不自满。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 虚拟xū nǐvirtual; fictional虚 = xū
- 虚伪xū wěihypocritical; insincere虚 = xū
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 虚 mean?
虚 (xū) means empty; void; false, unreal; weak; modest.
How do you pronounce 虚?
It is pronounced xū.
What parts is 虚 made of?
虍 (tiger top (radical)) and 业 (trade; occupation), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代简化字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：0-5 虍 / 6-10 业）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 虚 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 虚?
虍. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 虚?
Common ones are 虚拟 and 虚伪. The reading of 虚 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.