Creux vs. vide
In French, both creux and vide can describe a lack of substance or content, but they describe different physical states. The word creux primarily translates to "hollow," referring to the physical shape of an object that has a cavity or a sunken area. On the other hand, vide translates to "empty," focusing purely on the state of a container or space having nothing inside it.
Creux
The word creux describes an object that has a cavity, a sunken shape, or an internal empty space within its structure, translating best to "hollow". It focuses on the physical form of an object, and can also be used figuratively to describe words or ideas lacking substance.
Le vieil arbre au milieu de la forêt est creux.
(The old tree in the middle of the forest is hollow.)
Elle a les joues creuses à cause de la maladie.
(She has hollow cheeks because of the illness.)
Le politicien a fait beaucoup de promesses creuses.
(The politician made a lot of hollow promises.)
Il faut utiliser une assiette creuse pour servir la soupe.
(You must use a hollow plate to serve the soup.)
Le mur sonne creux quand on frappe dessus.
(The wall sounds hollow when you knock on it.)
J'ai un petit creux dans l'estomac et j'aimerais manger.
(I have a little hollow feeling in my stomach and I would like to eat.)
Vide
The word vide focuses on the complete absence of contents, people, or substance, translating directly to "empty". It describes a temporary or permanent state where a container, room, or space holds absolutely nothing, regardless of its physical shape.
La bouteille de lait dans le réfrigérateur est complètement vide.
(The milk bottle in the fridge is completely empty.)
La rue était vide de passants tard dans la nuit.
(The street was empty of pedestrians late at night.)
Il a laissé la boîte vide sur le comptoir de la cuisine.
(He left the empty box on the kitchen counter.)
Le réservoir de la voiture sera bientôt vide si nous ne nous arrêtons pas.
(The car's gas tank will soon be empty if we do not stop.)
Ils ont déménagé hier et maintenant la maison est vide.
(They moved out yesterday and now the house is empty.)
Son regard vide m'a fait comprendre qu'il n'écoutait pas.
(His empty stare made me realize he was not listening.)
Summary
To summarize, use creux when you want to emphasize a hollow shape, a cavity, or a depression built into an object's structure. Use vide when you want to state that a space, room, or container is completely empty of its contents. While a hollow object described by creux has a structural empty space by nature, an object described by vide is simply lacking its potential contents at a given moment.