困

• 拼音: kùn
• 汉字拆解: 困 = 囗 (enclosure) + 木 (tree), a tree trapped in an enclosure — symbolising confinement

含义

Sleepy; drowsy; to be trapped or stuck. Most commonly used to describe feeling tired and wanting to sleep.

Has two main uses: (1) as an adjective meaning sleepy or drowsy, which is the most common daily usage; (2) as a verb meaning to be trapped, stuck, or besieged, as in 被困 (to be trapped). The sleepy meaning is extremely common in casual speech. Related words include 困难 (difficult, literally 'trapped and hard').

例句

1. 我今天很困，昨天晚上没睡好。
2. 下午上课的时候我总是很困。
3. 喝了咖啡以后就不困了。

用法指南

语境: daily life, tiredness, casual

语气: casual

正确说法

• 我好困，想去睡觉了。(I'm so sleepy — I want to go to bed.)
• 你看起来很困，要不要先休息一下？(You look sleepy — do you want to rest for a bit?)

错误说法

• 我很困难。(Don't confuse 困 with 困难 — 困 means sleepy, while 困难 means difficult. Say 我很困 for sleepy, or 这很困难 for difficult.)

起源与历史

Pictographic: 木 (tree) enclosed in 囗 (enclosure), representing a tree confined in a small space — the idea of being trapped or constrained. The sleepy meaning is an extension: being 'trapped' by fatigue.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal