qióng: 穷 - Poor, Impoverished; to Exhaust, Extreme

Keywords: qiong, qióng, 穷, poor in Chinese, impoverished, Chinese word for poor, to exhaust, 窮 (traditional), poverty in China, qióng rén, budget travel, qióngyóu, endless in Chinese

Summary: Discover the deep meaning of the Chinese character 穷 (qióng). While its primary translation is “poor” or “impoverished,” qióng goes beyond just a lack of money. It also means “to exhaust” or “to the extreme,” appearing in words like “endless” (无穷, wúqióng) and “budget travel” (穷游, qióngyóu). This page explores its cultural significance, from ancient philosophies about poverty to modern slang, helping you understand one of the most fundamental concepts in the Chinese language.

Pinyin (with tone marks): qióng

Part of Speech: Adjective, Verb

HSK Level: HSK 3

Concise Definition: Lacking sufficient money or resources; or, to use up or reach the limit of something.

In a Nutshell: 穷 (qióng) is most commonly used to describe financial poverty. However, its core concept is about depletion and reaching an end. Think of it as a state of being “cornered” or “used up”—whether that refers to your wallet, your arguments, or your options. This dual meaning makes it a versatile and powerful word in Chinese.

穷 is a phono-semantic compound character, combining a meaning component with a sound component.

Radical: 穴 (xuè) - This is the “cave” or “hole” radical. It provides the semantic context, evoking an image of a primitive, poor dwelling, a life of hardship lived in a cave.

Phonetic Component: 躬 (gōng) - This character means “body” or “to bend the body.” It gives the character 穷 its sound.

Combined Meaning: The character paints a vivid picture: a person with a bent back (躬) living in a cave (穴). This suggests a life of toil, hardship, and confinement due to poverty. It's an image of someone whose physical and material resources are completely spent.

Poverty as a Catalyst: In Chinese culture, poverty isn't just a static condition; it's often viewed as a powerful motivator for change. The famous idiom 穷则思变 (qióng zé sī biàn) — “poverty breeds a desire for change” — captures this perfectly. It suggests that when one hits rock bottom, they are forced to innovate and strive for a better future. This is a foundational concept in understanding Chinese resilience and ambition.

Comparison to Western “Poor”: In American culture, “being poor” is often framed as an individual problem to be overcome through personal effort (the “American Dream”). While individual effort is also valued in China, 穷 (qióng) can carry a more collective, familial weight. Historically, escaping poverty was a duty to one's entire family, not just oneself. Furthermore, there's the long-standing cultural trope of the 穷书生 (qióng shūshēng), the “poor scholar,” who is respected for his knowledge and moral integrity despite his lack of material wealth, a concept less prominent in the West.

Related Values: The concept of 穷 (qióng) is deeply connected to the value of 吃苦耐劳 (chīkǔ nàiláo), “to bear hardship and endure hard work.” Overcoming poverty through education and sheer perseverance is a central narrative in many Chinese families.

Describing Financial Status: This is the most direct and common usage. You can describe a person, a family, or an area as 穷.

e.g., 他家很穷。(Tā jiā hěn qióng.) - His family is very poor.

Modern Slang & Lifestyle: The meaning of 穷 has evolved in modern, more affluent China.

穷游 (qióngyóu): Literally “poor travel,” this means “budget travel” or “backpacking.” It has a positive, trendy connotation among young people, implying a more authentic and resourceful way of seeing the world.

穷开心 (qióng kāixīn): Literally “poor happy,” this describes finding joy in simple things or being happy-go-lucky despite not having much money. It can be used self-deprecatingly or admiringly.

我好穷 (wǒ hǎo qióng): “I'm so poor!” This is often used hyperbolically among friends, similar to saying “I'm so broke” in English, even when it's just about not being able to afford a luxury item.

In Idioms (Chengyu) - The “Exhaust” Meaning: The meaning of “to exhaust” or “to the limit” is most often seen in set phrases and idioms.

无穷无尽 (wúqióngwújìn): “Without limit, without end” (endless, infinite). Here, 穷 means “end” or “limit.”

理屈词穷 (lǐqūcìqióng): “When the reasoning is faulty, the words are exhausted.” This describes someone who has run out of arguments because they are in the wrong.

Example 1:

小时候，我们家很穷，常常吃不饱。

Pinyin: Xiǎoshíhou, wǒmen jiā hěn qióng, chángcháng chī bù bǎo.

English: When I was little, our family was very poor, and we often didn't have enough to eat.

Analysis: This is the most straightforward use of 穷 as an adjective to describe a state of financial poverty.

Example 2:

他虽然穷，但是人穷志不穷。

Pinyin: Tā suīrán qióng, dànshì rén qióng zhì bù qióng.

English: Although he is poor, his ambition is not poor.

Analysis: This sentence uses the famous phrase 人穷志不穷 (rén qióng zhì bù qióng), highlighting the cultural value of maintaining ambition and spirit despite material lack.

Example 3:

这个暑假我打算去欧洲穷游。

Pinyin: Zhège shǔjià wǒ dǎsuàn qù Ōuzhōu qióngyóu.

English: I plan to go backpacking (budget traveling) in Europe this summer vacation.

Analysis: This shows the modern, positive usage of 穷 in the popular term 穷游 (qióngyóu). The speaker isn't necessarily destitute, but is choosing a low-cost travel style.

Example 4:

别看他整天穷开心，其实他压力很大。

Pinyin: Bié kàn tā zhěngtiān qióng kāixīn, qíshí tā yālì hěn dà.

English: Don't be fooled by his happy-go-lucky attitude; he's actually under a lot of stress.

Analysis: Here, 穷开心 (qióng kāixīn) describes a state of being cheerful on the surface despite underlying difficulties (like being poor).

Example 5:

宇宙是无穷无尽的。

Pinyin: Yǔzhòu shì wúqióngwújìn de.

English: The universe is infinite.

Analysis: This sentence demonstrates the “exhaust/end” meaning of 穷. 无穷 (wúqióng) literally means “not having an end.”

Example 6:

我这个月工资还没发，快穷死了！

Pinyin: Wǒ zhège yuè gōngzī hái méi fā, kuài qióng sǐ le!

English: My salary hasn't been paid this month, I'm so broke! (Literally: I'm about to die of poverty!)

Analysis: A common exaggeration used informally among friends. 快…死了 (kuài…sǐ le) is a pattern for saying “so… that I could die.”

Example 7:

在法庭上，他被问得理屈词穷。

Pinyin: Zài fǎtíng shàng, tā bèi wèn de lǐqūcìqióng.

English: In court, he was questioned to the point where he was at a complete loss for words.

Analysis: An excellent example of the chengyu 理屈词穷 (lǐqūcìqióng), where 穷 means “exhausted” in the context of arguments or words.

Example 8:

他开玩笑说自己穷得只剩下钱了。

Pinyin: Tā kāiwánxiào shuō zìjǐ qióng de zhǐ shèng xià qián le.

English: He joked that he's so “poor” that all he has left is money.

Analysis: This is a famous ironic phrase used to describe someone who is very rich but lacks happiness, friends, or purpose. It plays on the deeper meaning of 穷 as a state of depletion beyond just money.

Example 9:

政府的首要任务是帮助穷人脱贫。

Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ de shǒuyào rènwù shì bāngzhù qióngrén tuōpín.

English: The government's primary task is to help poor people escape poverty.

Analysis: This sentence uses the compound noun 穷人 (qióngrén), “poor people,” a very common and standard term.

Example 10:

穷则思变，他们决定离开家乡去大城市找机会。

Pinyin: Qióng zé sī biàn, tāmen juédìng líkāi jiāxiāng qù dà chéngshì zhǎo jīhuì.

English: Poverty inspires change, so they decided to leave their hometown to find opportunities in the big city.

Analysis: This directly applies the cultural idiom 穷则思变 (qióng zé sī biàn) to explain a real-life situation.

“I'm poor” vs. “I'm broke”: This is a critical distinction for learners.

Correct: 我最近手头有点紧。(Wǒ zuìjìn shǒutóu yǒudiǎn jǐn.) - Money is a bit tight for me recently.

Correct: 我没钱了。(Wǒ méi qián le.) - I'm out of money (right now).

Incorrect for temporary situations: 我很穷。(Wǒ hěn qióng.)

Explanation: Saying 我很穷 (Wǒ hěn qióng) is a statement about your long-term socioeconomic status. It means “I am a poor person.” For temporary lack of cash, use expressions like 没钱了 (méi qián le) or 手头紧 (shǒutóu jǐn). Casually exclaiming 我好穷! (wǒ hǎo qióng!) among friends is okay as an exaggeration, but 我很穷 (wǒ hěn qióng) is a serious statement.

Not Understanding the “Exhaust” Meaning: Learners might get confused seeing 穷 in a word like 无穷 (wúqióng - infinite) and try to relate it to money. Remember that 穷 has a core meaning of “to reach the end” or “to be used up.” Therefore, 无穷 (wúqióng) literally means “un-ended” or “inexhaustible.”

Quality vs. Financial Status: In English, “poor” can mean “low quality” (e.g., “poor service”). While 穷 can sometimes be used metaphorically this way (e.g., in a word like 穷酸 qióngsuān - shabby/pedantic), it's much less common. To say “poor quality,” you should use 差 (chà).

Correct: 这个质量很差。(Zhège zhìliàng hěn chà.) - This quality is very poor.

Incorrect: 这个质量很穷。(Zhège zhìliàng hěn qióng.)

贫穷 (pínqióng) - A more formal, two-character word for “poverty” or “impoverished.” Often used in writing and official contexts.

富 (fù) - The direct antonym of 穷, meaning “rich” or “wealthy.”

穷人 (qióng rén) - The standard term for “a poor person” or “poor people.”

穷光蛋 (qióngguāngdàn) - (Slang) A very informal and somewhat blunt term for a man with no money; a “pauper.”

穷游 (qióngyóu) - A very popular modern term for “budget travel” or “backpacking.”

无穷 (wúqióng) - “Infinite,” “endless,” “inexhaustible.” A perfect example of the “exhaust/limit” meaning.

脱贫 (tuōpín) - “To escape poverty” or “poverty alleviation.” A keyword in modern Chinese social policy.

吃苦 (chīkǔ) - Literally “to eat bitterness.” A common verb meaning “to bear hardship,” a cultural value closely tied to overcoming poverty.

小康 (xiǎokāng) - A “moderately prosperous society.” This is the state that one reaches after moving beyond being 穷.