穷

• 拼音: qióng
• 汉字拆解: 穷 = 穴 (cave, shelter) + 力 (strength, simplified component) — limited resources, poverty

含义

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).

例句

1. 他小时候家里很穷，连学费都交不起。
2. 虽然日子过得穷，但一家人在一起很快乐。
3. 我这个月花了太多钱，现在穷得很。

用法指南

语境: finance, everyday, social topics

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 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.)

错误说法

• 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)

起源与历史

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.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal