Something with nothing in it
Encoding Strategies:
linguistic
vacant
empty and unoccupied
+
-o
adjective suffix
Vacío means empty and is related to the English word vacant0, like a vacant seat with no one in it.
vacío
empty, vacant
Something with nothing inside it.
La nevera está vacía otra vezThe fridge is empty again
El asiento de al lado quedó vacío todo el vueloThe seat next to me stayed vacant the whole flight
empty, shallow (no substance)
Words or people with no real substance behind them.
Fueron promesas vacías y nada cambióThey were empty promises and nothing changed
Es simpático, pero es una persona bastante vacíaHe's nice, but he's a pretty shallow person
el vacío
void, vacuum (empty space)
A space with nothing in it. Adding el turns the adjective into a thing, so 'empty' becomes 'the empty space'.
El gato saltó al vacío y cayó de pieThe cat jumped into the void and landed on its feet
El sonido no viaja en el vacíoSound doesn't travel in a vacuum
void, emptiness (absence)
The empty feeling left by someone or something that's missing. Adding el turns the adjective into a thing, so 'empty' becomes 'emptiness'.
Su partida dejó un vacío en el equipoHer departure left a void on the team
Después de la mudanza sentí un vacío enormeAfter the move I felt a huge emptiness
al vacío
vacuum-packed, vacuum-sealed
Describes something packed with all the air sucked out. El vacío turns "empty" into "the empty space" or "the vacuum," and a points to the style in which something is done. When combined, they literally mean "vacuum-style."
Compré queso envasado al vacíoI bought vacuum-packed cheese
Sellé la carne al vacío antes de congelarlaI vacuum-sealed the meat before freezing it