Translation guide
To make a space inside something by removing material, or to create a cavity. This guide covers physical hollowing, metaphorical emptiness, and related expressions.
To remove the inside of a solid object, creating a cavity or empty space.
The most common verb for physically hollowing out something like a fruit, vegetable, or piece of wood. Often implies carving or scooping out the inside.
かぼちゃをくり抜いてランタンを作った。
I hollowed out a pumpkin and made a lantern.
To gouge or scoop out, often with force or a sharp tool. Can imply a deeper, more aggressive hollowing action.
スプーンでメロンの種をえぐった。
I scooped out the melon seeds with a spoon.
Literally 'to make into a cavity'. More formal or descriptive, used when emphasizing the resulting empty space.
職人が丸太を空洞にして太鼓を作った。
The craftsman hollowed out a log to make a drum.
A less common kanji for 'to hollow out' or 'to carve out', often used in traditional crafts or woodworking.
木を刳って器を作る。
Hollow out wood to make a vessel.
To create a passage or opening by removing material, often completely through an object.
General phrase for 'to make a hole'. Can be used for hollowing out in the sense of creating an opening.
壁に穴を開けて配線を通した。
I made a hole in the wall and passed the wiring through.
To penetrate or pierce through, creating a hollow passage. More technical.
ドリルで鉄板を貫通させた。
I drilled through the iron plate.
To feel emotionally empty, drained, or as if something has been taken away.
Literally 'one's heart becomes empty'. Common expression for feeling emotionally hollow or drained.
すべてを失って、心が空っぽになった。
I lost everything and felt hollow inside.
To become vacant or hollow, often describing eyes or a feeling of emptiness.
彼の目は虚ろだった。
His eyes were hollow.
To gradually hollow out something from within, often by natural forces like water or decay.
To erode, especially by water. Can describe hollowing out of rock or soil.
川の流れが岩を浸食して洞窟を作った。
The river's flow eroded the rock and hollowed out a cave.
To become hollow; often used for economic or social hollowing out, but can apply to physical erosion.
地下水の影響で地盤が空洞化した。
The ground became hollow due to groundwater.
When describing emotional emptiness, avoid directly translating 'hollow out' as a verb. Use phrases like 心が空っぽになる or 虚ろになる instead.
くり抜く is the standard word for hollowing out, like carving a pumpkin. えぐる implies a more forceful gouging or scooping, often with a sharp tool, and can also mean to deeply wound emotionally.