空きます（すきます、sukimaす）
- to become empty

The Japanese word 空きます, read すきます (sukimasu), has several related meanings, all revolving around the concept of emptiness, availability, or becoming free. It is a versatile verb used to describe situations where something becomes vacant, free, or less crowded. It can also describe a feeling of emptiness or hunger, depending on the context. Its meaning can vary slightly depending on the context, but the core idea remains constant: something that was full or occupied becomes empty or available.

⚫︎席が空きます Translation: A seat becomes available. ⚫︎お腹が空きました Translation: I became hungry. (My stomach became empty.) ⚫︎時間が空きます Translation: I have free time / Time becomes free.

⚫︎When used to describe the availability of a seat, space, or time: You would use 空きます when something that was previously occupied or scheduled becomes free. ⚫︎When expressing hunger: You use 空きます to mean that you *are* hungry or that your stomach feels empty. ⚫︎It's important to pay attention to the context to understand which meaning is intended. Consider the subject of the sentence to understand if it refers to space, time, or a feeling of hunger.

⚫︎The verb 空きます is typically written in hiragana as すきます. ⚫︎The kanji form is 空きます. ⚫︎The stem of the verb (without the ます ending) is 空き (suki). ⚫︎There are no significant variations in the okurigana (the suffix hiragana).

⚫︎For the meaning of becoming available/free: - 開く (hiraku): to open; to become available (often used for time or spaces) - あく (aku): to become empty (more general) ⚫︎For the meaning of becoming hungry: - お腹がすく (onaka ga suku): to become hungry (a more common and explicit way to say one is hungry)

⚫︎For the meaning of becoming available/free: - 混む (komu): to become crowded - 埋まる (umaru): to be filled, to be occupied ⚫︎For the meaning of becoming hungry: (The opposite feeling would be being full.) - お腹がいっぱい (onaka ga ippai): to be full (of stomach)

電車の席が空きましたので、座りました。 ・Translation: A seat became available on the train, so I sat down. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the availability of a seat on the train, leading the speaker to sit. The verb 空きました clearly indicates that a seat became free.

今日の午後は時間が空きますか？ ・Translation: Do you have free time this afternoon? ・Explanation: This sentence is asking about whether someone has any free time available in the afternoon. Here, 空きます is used to inquire about the availability of someone's time.

The kanji 空 (kuu, sora, a(ki), etc.) generally means "empty," "sky," or "vacant." The verb 空く (aku/空きます(akimasu)) is formed by adding the verb stem suffix to the kanji. It implies a state of being or becoming empty or vacant.