窮 (qióng) - Poor & impoverished

窮Tone 2

qióng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

窮 · qióng

Poor;

impoverished;

destitute;

exhausted;

to investigate thoroughly;

to reach the limit.

Poorimpoverisheddestitute

Usage highlights

PovertyPoor personExhaust all possibilitiesDead endThorough investigationUtterly destitute

Synonyms

  • 贫— poor; impoverished
  • 困— difficult; impoverished

Antonyms

  • 富— rich; wealthy
  • 达— prosperous; successful

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The family was extremely poor (贫穷).
  • He exhausted all possibilities (穷尽).
  • They investigated the matter thoroughly (穷究).
  • The mountain path seemed endless (穷途).

Collocations

  • Poverty(贫穷)
  • Poor person(穷人)
  • Exhaust all possibilities(穷尽)
  • Dead end(穷途)
  • Thorough investigation(穷究)
  • Poverty-stricken(穷困)

Idioms

  • At the end of one's rope(山穷水尽)
  • Endless changes(变化无穷)
  • Exhaustive and thorough(穷原竟委)
  • Poverty gives rise to a desire for change(穷则思变)
  • Chase to the very end(穷追不舍)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian thought, poverty could be virtuous if one maintained moral integrity ('君子固穷').
  • Traditionally associated with scholarly poverty, where learned individuals might be poor but morally upright.
  • The character embodies the concept of reaching limits, both in material circumstances and intellectual pursuit.

FAQ