空く
すく
to be empty (in reference to people), to be less crowded
Suku (空く) is a godan verb meaning "to be empty (in reference to people), to be less". Its polite form is 空きます (sukimasu), its te form is 空いて (suite), its past form is 空いた (suita), and its negative form is 空かない (sukanai).
Godan verbJLPT N4
Suku (空く) conjugation quick reference
空く means "to be empty (in reference to people), to be less". Its main forms are listed below, with links to the grammar pattern behind each form.
Suku example sentences
この時間帯は電車が空いています。
The train is less crowded at this time.
昨日はレストランが全く空いていませんでした。
The restaurant was not empty at all yesterday.
仕事が終わるとき、駐車場が空いていた。
The parking lot was empty when I finished work.
How to use Suku: grammar notes
•Use 空く with the particle が to say a place is becoming less crowded — for example, 電車が空いています means "The train is not crowded" or "The train has space."
•Don't confuse 空く (to be empty or less crowded) with 開く (to open); they sound similar but have different meanings and kanji.
•When talking about something becoming less busy, like a restaurant or road, you can say 店が空いてきた (The restaurant is getting less crowded) — be careful not to use を here, since 空く describes the state of the subject, not an action done to it.
•JLPT N4 level
Common phrases with Suku
電車が空いている（でんしゃがすいている）
The train is not crowded / The train is empty
お腹が空いた（おなかがすいた）
I'm hungry (literally: My stomach has become empty)
道が空いている（みちがすいている）
The road is clear / There's little traffic
Suku (空く) conjugation table
| Form | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Forms | ||
| Dictionary Form | 空く | suku |
| Masu Form | 空きます | sukimasu |
| Te Form | 空いて | suite |
| Past Form | 空いた | suita |
| Negative Form | 空かない | sukanai |
| Past Negative | 空かなかった | sukanakatta |
| Polite Forms | ||
| Polite Present | 空きます | sukimasu |
| Polite Past | 空きました | sukimashita |
| Polite Negative | 空きません | sukimasen |
| Polite Past Negative | 空きませんでした | sukimasendeshita |
| Advanced Forms | ||
| Potential Form | 空ける | sukeru |
| Passive Form | 空かれる | sukareru |
| Causative Form | 空かせる | sukaseru |
| Causative Passive | 空かされる | sukasareru |
| Volitional Form | 空こう | sukou |
| Imperative Form | 空け | suke |
| Conditional Forms | ||
| Conditional (ば) | 空けば | sukeba |
| Conditional (たら) | 空いたら | suitara |
| Other Forms | ||
| Progressive Form | 空いている | suiteiru |
| Desire (たい) | 空きたい | sukitai |
| Prohibition | 空くな | sukuna |