哭穷 (kū qióng) — to complain about being poor (often insincerely), to play poor, to cry poverty

Definition

Means 'to play poor' — complain about not having money, usually insincerely when you actually do. The verb 哭 is figurative ('to cry/wail about'), not literal.

verb
to complain about being poor (often insincerely)to play poorto cry poverty

Examples

  • ，哭穷。
    Tā míng míng hěn yǒu qián, què zǒng ài kū qióng.
    He's clearly very rich, yet he always likes to play poor.
  • 哭穷，？
    Bié kū qióng le, shuí bù zhī dào nǐ gāng mǎi le xīn fáng?
    Stop crying poverty — who doesn't know you just bought a new house?
  • ，。
    Tā měi cì jù huì dōu kū yì huí qióng, dà jiā dōu bú ài tīng le.
    Every time at the gathering he goes on a round of complaining about being poor, and everyone is tired of hearing it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

哭kūcry
穷qióngpoverty

哭 (cry) and 穷 (poverty) combine to mean complaining of being poor.

Characters in this word

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
吅吅xuānto speak loudly
Sound part声符shēngfú
獄
獄yù哭kū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 哭 showed 吅, loudly, above a long-haired person; that lower part later became dog-like shapes. Later, 哭 was analyzed as 吅 plus 獄 for sound.

Open 哭 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 窮; 穷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave; nest; confinement
Sound part声符shēngfú
躬
躬gōng窮qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 窮, 穴 (cave; nest; confinement) gives the sense and 躬 gives the sound; this is about 窮, not the simplified 穷.

Open 穷 →

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