穷

• Pinyin: qióng
• Hanzi breakdown: 穷 = 穴 (cave, shelter) + 力 (strength, simplified component) — limited resources, poverty

Meaning

Poor; impoverished. Lacking money or material resources.

The most common and direct word for being financially poor. Used as a predicate (我很穷, I'm poor), attributive (穷人家, a poor family), and figuratively (穷开心, happy despite being broke). The opposite is 富 (rich). Often appears in proverbs and set phrases: 穷则变，变则通 (poverty drives change, and change leads to success).

Examples

1. 他小时候家里很穷，连学费都交不起。 His family was very poor when he was a child — they could not even afford the school fees.
2. 虽然日子过得穷，但一家人在一起很快乐。 Although life was poor, the whole family was happy together.
3. 我这个月花了太多钱，现在穷得很。 I spent too much money this month — I'm really broke now.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, everyday, social topics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 小时候家里穷，但我们过得很开心。(We were poor growing up, but we lived happily.)
• 不要因为穷就放弃梦想。(Don't give up on your dreams just because you're poor.)

Don't Say

• 你看起来很穷 directly to someone (Avoid saying this to someone's face — it is rude; if necessary, use softer expressions like 经济上有些困难)

Origin & History

The character 穷 originally contained 穴 (cave, dwelling) and 躬 (body, bow down), suggesting someone confined to a cramped space — destitute and at their limit.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal