睏 (kùn) - Sleepy, tired, drowsy & to sleep

睏Tone 4

kùn ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

睏 · kùn

Sleepy, tired, drowsy;

to sleep;

to doze off;

to be exhausted;

also means to be trapped or besieged.

Sleepy, tired, drowsyto sleepto doze off

Usage highlights

SleepyTo sleepTired and sleepyTrappedDrowsySleepy eyes

Synonyms

  • 困— tired, sleepy (simplified/mainland variant)
  • 睡— to sleep
  • 倦— weary, tired

Antonyms

  • 醒— awake, alert
  • 精神— energetic, spirited

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I feel very sleepy (很睏).
  • The baby is sleeping (睏觉).
  • He was trapped in the building (被睏在楼里).
  • I'm too tired to continue (我太睏了).

Collocations

  • Sleepy(睏倦)
  • To sleep(睏觉)
  • Tired and sleepy(疲睏)
  • Trapped(被睏)
  • Drowsy(睏乏)
  • Sleepy eyes(睏眼)

Idioms

  • Besieged on all sides(内外交睏)
  • Poor and distressed(贫睏)
  • Tired and weary(疲睏不堪)
  • Trapped in hardship(艰难睏苦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to be trapped' or 'besieged' in classical Chinese, later extended to mean 'sleepy' in vernacular usage.
  • In modern Chinese, primarily used in southern dialects and informal contexts to mean sleepy or tired.
  • The character combines the 'eye' radical with a phonetic component, suggesting the physical state of tired eyes.

FAQ