穷 meaning and stroke order
Poor; destitute; to use up
How to write 穷, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 穷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- poor
- destitute
- to use up
- to exhaust
- thoroughly
- extremely
How 穷 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 穷
穷 is a cave 穴 (xué) on top of strength 力 (lì). Picture someone using all their strength just to survive in a cave, so poor that every resource is used up.
穷 most often means poor, as in 穷人 (qióngrén) poor people or 贫穷 (pínqióng) poverty. It also means to use up or reach the end, which is why 无穷 (wúqióng) means endless. Example: 他小时候家里很穷。(Tā xiǎoshíhou jiā lǐ hěn qióng.) His family was very poor when he was young.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 穷 with 究 (jiū, as in 研究), which also has 穴 on top but 九 underneath instead of 力. Also remember the second tone: qióng rises, it is not qiōng.
Common words with 穷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 穷人 | qióngrén | poor people; the poor | HSK 4 |
| 贫穷 | pínqióng | poor; impoverished | HSK 7-9 |
| 无穷 | wúqióng | endless; boundless | HSK 7-9 |
| 层出不穷 | céngchū-bùqióng | more and more emerge; innumerable succession | HSK 7-9 |
| 穷光蛋 | qióngguāngdàn | poor wretch; pauper | |
| 穷鬼 | qióngguǐ | (vulgar) impoverished person; the poor | |
| 无穷无尽 | wúqióngwújìn | (idiom) endless; boundless; infinite | |
| 穷追不舍 | qióngzhuībùshě | to pursue relentlessly |
穷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 穷
How many strokes are in 穷?
穷 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 穷 mean?
穷 (qióng) means poor; destitute; to use up. A common word with it is 穷人 (qióngrén), meaning "poor people; the poor".
How do you pronounce 穷?
穷 is pronounced qióng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 穷?
The radical of 穷 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 穷 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 穷?
The traditional form of 穷 is 窮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 穷 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 穷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 穷 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 穷 and 贫穷?
穷 is the everyday, spoken word and is often used after 很, as in 很穷. 贫穷 is more formal and is often used as a noun meaning poverty, as in 消除贫穷 (xiāochú pínqióng) to eliminate poverty.
Is 穷 rude to say about someone?
Saying someone's family is 穷 is a plain description, but words like 穷鬼 (qióngguǐ) and 穷光蛋 (qióngguāngdàn) are insulting or mocking. People often use 穷 jokingly about themselves, as in 我最近很穷 (I am broke lately).