Meaning of 困
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to trap
- to surround
- hard-pressed
- stranded
- destitute
- sleepy
- tired
How to use 困
In daily speech 困 most often means sleepy, as in 我困了 (wǒ kùn le), "I'm sleepy." The sense of being trapped or in difficulty appears mainly in compounds like 困难 (kùnnan) and 被困 (bèikùn). Example: 他们被困在山上了。(Tāmen bèi kùn zài shān shang le.) They were stranded on the mountain.
困 shows a tree 木 (mù) stuck inside an enclosure 囗. A tree boxed in with no room to grow is trapped, and being trapped all day makes you tired and sleepy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 困 with 因 (yīn, because), which has 大 inside instead of 木. Also, 困 means sleepy, while 累 (lèi) means physically or mentally worn out, so after a long run say 我很累 (wǒ hěn lèi), not 我很困.
困 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
困 kùn · to trap · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 困.
Questions about 困
What does 困 mean?
困 (kùn) means "to trap; to surround" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 困?
困 is made of 1 character: 困 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 困 an HSK word?
Yes. 困 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say "I'm sleepy" in Chinese?
Say 我困了 (wǒ kùn le) or 我好困 (wǒ hǎo kùn). The 了 shows you have become sleepy.
Is the second syllable of 困难 toneless?
Yes, in everyday Mandarin it is usually said kùnnan, with a light neutral tone on 难. In careful speech or some regions you may hear kùnnán.