空き・明き|あきaki[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounspace; room; gap; emptiness
   字じと字じの間あいだの空あきをもっと広ひろくしなさい。↗

   Leave more space between characters.
2. nounvacancy; opening; empty seat
   うちの会社かいしゃには空あきがない。↗

   There is no opening in our firm.
3. no-adjectivefree time; time to spare
4. no-adjectivedisuse; unused thing

• Synonym隙間すきまNeutralA narrow gap between things, or a spare moment, as in 「隙間風」; the stress is on the narrow gap, while 「空き」 is about a space not being occupied.
• SynonymスペースNeutralLoanword for space, an open spot or a blank, as in 「駐車スペース」; stresses usable space, while 「空き」 stresses that a place is unoccupied.
• Synonym余地よちNeutralRoom or margin left over, mostly abstract, as in 「改善の余地」「疑う余地がない」; 「空き」 is for concrete empty spots and free time.
• Synonym間あいだNeutralA space or pause between two things; leans toward intervals, not vacant seats or openings.
• SynonymはざまWrittenA narrow space between two things, also figuratively being caught between them, as in 「生と死の狭間」; literary flavor.
• Synonym空き間あきまNeutralA vacant room for rent or a gap between things, as in 「空き間あり」; leans toward rooms or space sitting empty, while 「空き」 also covers vacancies and free time.
• Synonym間隙かんげきWrittenWritten word for a gap or crevice, also a rift between people, as in 「敵の間隙を突く」.
• Synonym空隙くうげきWrittenWritten word for empty space or pores, mostly in scientific explanations.
• Synonym空所くうしょWrittenWritten word for an empty place, also the blank in a fill-in-the-blank question.
• Related空間くうかんWrittenSame word as above; written 「空間」 it is usually read 「くうかん」 and means space or a gap between things, but vacancies and empty seats are still 「空き」. Formal in tone.
• Related隙すきNeutralA gap, but more often an unguarded moment or a weakness, as in 「隙を見せる」; 「空き」 has no sense of a lapse or flaw.
• Related空からNeutralRead から, it is about having nothing inside, as in 「箱が空だ」; the stress is on emptiness itself, while 「空き」 focuses on the vacant spot.
• Related間まNeutralA space or pause between two things; leans toward intervals, not vacant seats or openings.
• Related間隔かんかくNeutralA distance or time interval, as in 「間隔を空ける」; measurable, stressing the space between two things.
• Related空っぽからっぽCasualColloquial for completely empty, as in 「頭が空っぽ」; stresses total emptiness, while 「空き」 is about a vacant spot.
• Related空虚くうきょWrittenHollowness or emptiness of mind or content, as in 「空虚な気持ち」; abstract, unlike 「空き」's physical vacant spots.
• Related中空ちゅうくうWrittenHollow inside or in mid-air, as in 「中空のパイプ」; describes structure, not a vacant spot.
• Related虚うろNeutralSame word as the 「空（から）」 entry above, also written 「虚」; as a prefix in 「空元気」「空約束」 it means false or only apparent, unlike 「空き」's vacant-spot sense.
• Related明所あきどWrittenDated word for an empty place; hardly used in modern Japanese.

For an unoccupied seat or spot, a vacancy, or free time, 「空き」 is the default. Say 「隙間」 for a narrow gap between things, 「スペース」 for usable space, 「余地」 for abstract room or margin, and 「空」 or 「空っぽ」 for something with nothing inside. 「空き間」 is a vacant room for rent, 「空虚」 is emptiness of mind or content, 「間」 and 「間隔」 are intervals between two things, 「隙」 is an unguarded opening, and written words like 「間隙」「空隙」「空所」「明所」「中空」「狭間」 belong to formal or literary prose.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 何なんも入はいっていない場所ばしょや部分ぶぶん。
2. 席せきや役職やくしょくなどが埋うまっていないこと。
3. 何なんも予定よていがなく、自由じゆうに使つかえる時間じかん。
4. 使つかわれずに残のこっているものや状態じょうたい。