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窮
On'yomi
キュウ・キョウ
KYUU / KYOU
Kun'yomi
きわ.める・きわ.まる・きわ.まり・きわ.み
kiwameru / kiwamaru / kiwamari / kiwami
hard up · destitute · suffer · perplexed · cornered
dark
Details
Strokes15
Frequency#1756
Radical穴cave(5)
Stroke Order
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Strokes15
Component Breakdown
窮=
穴躬
hole + 躬
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of hole and body. Body stuck in hole, troubled.
Symbolism
Poverty, predicament, extreme. Represents being cornered.
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
天壌無窮
てんじょうむきゅう
as eternal as heaven and earth; as eternal as heaven and earth
窮鼠噛猫
きゅうそごうびょう
a cornered rat will bite the cat; one who is cornered will fight like a devil; a cornered rat will bite the cat
困苦窮乏
こんくきゅうぼう
hardships and privations; hardships and privations
Proverbs & Idioms
窮鼠猫を噛む
きゅうそねこをかむ
A cornered rat bites the cat
Even the weak will fight back when desperate