困厄 (kùn è) — (noun) dire straits, hardship; (verb phrase) to be in dire straits, to be poverty-stricken

Definition

noun
dire straitshardship
verb
(verb phrase) to be in dire straitsto be poverty-stricken

Examples

  • 困厄。
    Tā zài kùn è zhōng yī rán bǎo chí lè guān.
    He remains optimistic even in dire straits.
  • 困厄，。
    Zhè ge jiā tíng kùn è duō nián, zhōng yú zǒu chū le kùn jìng.
    This family was poverty-stricken for years and finally got out of trouble.
  • 困厄，。
    Miàn duì kùn è, tā méi yǒu tuì suō.
    Facing hardship, he did not back down.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

困kùnhardship
厄èadversity

困 and 厄 both refer to hardship or adversity; together they mean dire straits.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 囗囗wéisurround
  • 木木mùwood

困 is drawn as 木 (wood) enclosed by 囗 (surround). The evidence says this was probably the original form of a word meaning 'doorsill'.

Open 困 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
卪卪jiéjoint; node
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng厄è
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 厄 may come from a drawing of a kneeling figure 卪 with a small stroke 厂 marking the knee.

Open 厄 →

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