窘 meaning and stroke order
Distressed; embarrassed; hard-pressed
How to write 窘, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 窘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- distressed
- embarrassed
How 窘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Cave.
穴 gives the meaning and 君 hints at the sound.
Radical: 穴 (cave), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 窘
Picture a ruler 君 (jūn) stuck down in a cave 穴 (xué) with no way out. A king trapped in a hole feels distressed and embarrassed, and 君 also hints at the sound jiǒng.
窘 is mostly used in set words and written style rather than alone in casual speech. It appears in words like 窘迫 (jiǒngpò) and 窘境 (jiǒngjìng), and in the phrase 很窘 (hěn jiǒng, very embarrassed). Example: 他陷入了窘境。(Tā xiànrùle jiǒngjìng.) He fell into a predicament.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse the top 穴 with 宀 or write the bottom as 群 instead of 君. Also note the third tone in jiǒng; it is not jǔn or jūn, even though 君 is the phonetic part.
Common words with 窘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 窘迫 | jiǒngpò | poverty-stricken; very poor | HSK 7-9 |
| 窘境 | jiǒngjìng | awkward situation; predicament |
窘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 窘
How many strokes are in 窘?
窘 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 窘 mean?
窘 (jiǒng) means distressed; embarrassed; hard-pressed. A common word with it is 窘迫 (jiǒngpò), meaning "poverty-stricken; very poor".
How do you pronounce 窘?
窘 is pronounced jiǒng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 窘?
The radical of 窘 is 穴, which carries the idea of "cave". Dictionaries list 窘 under this radical.
Is 窘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 窘 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 窘 and 尴尬 (gāngà)?
尴尬 is the everyday word for awkward or embarrassing and is very common in speech. 窘 sounds more literary and often adds a sense of being cornered or hard-pressed, not just socially awkward.
Does 窘 always mean embarrassed, or can it mean poor?
It can mean both. 窘迫 can describe being short of money or in a tight situation, while 很窘 usually describes feeling embarrassed. Context tells you which sense is meant.