窮
窮·hard up, cornered, extremity
- On-yomi
- キュウ
- Kun-yomi
- きわ.めるきわ.まる
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 窮屈 | きゅうくつ | cramped, stiff, restrictive |
| 窮地 | きゅうち | tight corner, predicament |
| 困窮 | こんきゅう | poverty, destitution |
| 窮状 | きゅうじょう | distressed condition |
Example sentences
この靴は少し窮屈です。
このくつはすこしきゅうくつです。
These shoes are a little tight.
彼は窮地に立たされている。
かれはきゅうちにたたされている。
He has been driven into a tight corner.
生活に困窮する家庭を支援する。
せいかつにこんきゅうするかていをしえんする。
We support households living in poverty.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- 'To pursue to the end' is 究める (究); 窮まる means to be at one's wits' end.
- 窮屈 describes both physical tightness and a stifling atmosphere.
Memory aid
Picture it
A body 身 squeezed into a hole 穴 at the far end 弓: nowhere left to go.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
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What does the kanji 窮 mean?