The kanji character 孔 primarily conveys the meaning of "hole," "opening," or "cavity." It can refer to a physical opening, like a hole in the ground, or a more abstract opening, such as an orifice or a void. The core idea is that of an empty space or a place of entry or exit.

・On-yomi (音読み): コウ (kō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): あな (ana) - meaning "hole"

⚫︎ 孔子 Translation: Confucius (a famous Chinese philosopher whose family name was 孔) ⚫︎ 毛孔 Translation: Pores (of the skin) ⚫︎ 鼻孔 Translation: Nostril

The character 孔 is a pictograph. It depicts a hole or opening. The original form of the character resembled a small opening, reflecting the basic meaning of a "hole." Over time, the form evolved into its present shape. The shape on the left side is the component 子meaning "child," and it represents the state of a child in the womb, and "hole" is added from the bottom of the character. This character is associated with the idea of a passage or entrance.