Traditional: 睏
kùn HSK 4

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

我困了,想睡觉。
Wǒ kùn le, xiǎng shuìjiào.
I'm sleepy and want to sleep.
他遇到了一些困难。
Tā yùdào le yīxiē kùnnan.
He encountered some difficulties.
这个问题让我很困。
Zhège wèntí ràng wǒ hěn kùn.
This problem makes me very troubled.
我很困。
Wǒ hěn kùn.
I am very sleepy.
他困了。
Tā kùn le.
He is sleepy.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine a person sleeping inside a big mouth (口) of a tree (木) because they are so 困 (sleepy)—this combines the components of the character: 囗 (enclosure) and 木 (tree).

📝 Usage Notes

It is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, in informal and semi-formal contexts. It's often used to describe one's own state or to observe someone else's, typically in daily conversations about sleep, rest, or tiredness.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used with degree adverbs like 很 (hěn, 'very'), 太 (tài, 'too'), or 有点 (yǒudiǎn, 'a bit'). It can function as a predicate, e.g., 我困了 (I'm sleepy), or as an attributive, e.g., 困的时候 (when sleepy).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, expressing that you are 困 is a common and acceptable way to explain low energy or a need to rest, similar to Western contexts. It's often used as a polite reason to leave early or decline an activity.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 累 (lèi, 'tired' from exertion), 困 specifically refers to sleepiness. 疲倦 (píjuàn) means 'weary' or 'exhausted' and can include both physical and mental fatigue, not necessarily tied to sleep.

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