To Become Empty
To Become Vacant, To Become Available
intransitive verb, godan verb
You have the kanji for empty, so this verb means to become empty. Think empty bottles, vacant bathroom stalls, even an open block in your schedule — that sort of thing.
Whenever something is about to become empty, you can't help saying "Ah (あ)…" to express your disappointment. Your glass of water is becoming empty? Ah… Your bag of chips is becoming empty? Ah… Exclaiming a little "Ah…" is the only thing that helps you cope with the sadness of your favorite things becoming empty.
Note that this word can also be read as すく in some situations, though the nuance changes slightly. You'll learn this through other words later on, so for now just focus on the あく reading!
時間が空く
to have free time
テーブルが空く
a table becomes available
グラスが空く
a glass becomes empty
空いた時間
free time
空いたスペース
available space
空いたグラス
an empty glass
マサオのグラスが空くと、ミチコはそっとワインを注いだ。
When Masao's glass became empty, Michiko quietly poured wine into it.
スケジュールが空いてる日を教えてください。
Please let me know the days when your schedule is free.
ラッキーなことに、テーブルが一つ空いていたのですぐ店に入れました。
Luckily, there was one available table, so we were able to get seated at the restaurant right away.