穷 (qióng) — poor, impoverished; (as a complement) exhausted, used up
Definition
穷 is a simple adjective for 'poor' — more colloquial than 贫困/贫穷 (which are more formal/written). As a result complement (e.g. 花穷了) it means 'exhausted, all used up'.
adjective
poorimpoverished(as a complement) exhaustedused up
Examples
- 穷。Tā jiā lǐ hěn qióng.His family is very poor.
- 穷。Tā bǎ qián dōu huā qióng le.He spent all his money and went broke.
- 穷。Tā yuè lái yuè qióng le.He's getting poorer and poorer.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
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.
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