穷 (qióng) - poor & impoverished

穷Tone 2

qióng ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 穴

情仁

穷 · qióng

poor;

impoverished;

destitute;

to exhaust;

to investigate thoroughly;

extreme;

limit.

poorimpoverisheddestitute

Usage highlights

poorpovertyto exhaustlimitlesspoor personpoor village

Synonyms

  • 贫— poor; impoverished
  • 困— destitute; in straitened circumstances
  • 乏— lacking; deficient

Antonyms

  • 富— rich; wealthy
  • 裕— affluent; abundant
  • 足— sufficient; ample

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He comes from a poor family (贫穷的家庭).
  • We have exhausted all possibilities (穷尽所有可能).
  • The changes are extremely varied (变化无穷).
  • This is a poor and remote village (穷乡僻壤).

Collocations

  • poor(贫穷)
  • poverty(贫困)
  • to exhaust(穷尽)
  • limitless(无穷)
  • poor person(穷人)
  • poor village(穷村)

Idioms

  • At the end of one's resources(山穷水尽)
  • Endless changes(变化无穷)
  • Poverty gives rise to a desire for change(穷则思变)
  • Exhaust all possibilities to find the truth(穷原竟委)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, poverty was often associated with moral integrity—the 'noble poor' (安贫乐道) who maintained virtue despite hardship.
  • The concept of 'qiong' extends beyond material lack to intellectual or situational limits, as in 'exhausting' possibilities or reaching an 'extreme'.
  • Daoist and Confucian texts sometimes valorize poverty as a state conducive to spiritual cultivation, free from worldly temptations.

FAQ