hohl
hollow
Empty inside; without contents or filling.
EXAMPLE
Der alte Baumstamm war innen völlig hohl.
The old tree trunk was completely hollow inside.
hohl
hollow
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Meanings
hohl
empty / shallow
Referring to a person or statement: without substance, superficial, or stupid.
EXAMPLE
Seine Versprechungen klangen gut, erwiesen sich aber als hohle Phrasen.
His promises sounded good, but turned out to be empty phrases.
hohl
hollow
Describing a dull, deep sound, as if it came from an empty space.
EXAMPLE
Als er an die alte Holztür klopfte, ertönte ein hohles Geräusch.
When he knocked on the old wooden door, a hollow sound rang out.
hohl
hollow / sunken
Referring to body parts: curved inward or sunken, often as a sign of illness or exhaustion.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Krankheit hatte sie hohle Wangen und tiefe Augenringe.
After the long illness, she had hollow cheeks and dark circles under her eyes.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'hohl' (hollow) is related to the noun 'die Höhle' (cave). A cave is a hollow space in a mountain, which nicely illustrates the basic meaning of 'empty inside'.
EXAMPLE
Der Specht klopfte an den hohlen Baum.
The woodpecker pecked at the hollow tree.
Context clue
The meaning of 'hohl' (hollow) depends strongly on the context. If it refers to a physical object, it means 'empty inside'. If it refers to statements or people, it means 'superficial' or 'stupid'.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Schokoladenhase ist hohl.
This chocolate bunny is hollow.
Typical collocations
In its figurative meaning, 'hohl' (empty, shallow) is often used for abstract concepts. Typical combinations are 'hohle Phrasen' (empty phrases), 'hohle Worte' (empty words), or 'hohle Versprechungen' (empty promises).
EXAMPLE
Die Rede des Politikers war voller hohler Phrasen.
The politician's speech was full of empty phrases.
Describing the body
When 'hohl' (hollow, sunken) describes body parts, it usually refers to sunken parts of the face. Common combinations are 'hohle Wangen' (hollow cheeks) or 'hohle Augen' (sunken eyes) as a sign of exhaustion or illness.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Grippe hatte er ganz hohle Augen.
After the flu, he had very sunken eyes.
Describing sound
To describe a dull sound, 'hohl' (hollow) is often combined with verbs like 'klingen' (to sound) or 'tönen' (to ring, to resound). It describes a sound that seems to come from an empty space.
EXAMPLE
Das Klopfen an der Wand klang hohl.
The knocking on the wall sounded hollow.
Compare with
hohl vs leer
empty
Both words can refer to words or promises without convincing substance. Leer emphasizes that they contain little or no content, while hohl can additionally sound superficial or dishonest. Use leer for a lack of content and hohl when the statement sounds especially false or insubstantial.
hohl
Seine Versprechen klangen hohl, weil er sie schon mehrmals gebrochen hatte.
His promises sounded hollow because he had already broken them several times.
leer
Seine Worte blieben leer, weil er keinen konkreten Vorschlag machte.
His words rang empty because he did not make a concrete proposal.
In real life
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