to surround; to besiege; surrounded, in distress; poor; tired, sleepy
zg, 12 strokes, radical 目, rank #44374, Very Hard
kùn(kun4) T4
1to surround; to besiege; surrounded, in distress; poor; tired, sleepy
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March 24, 2026
睏kùn(kun4)
The character 睏 (kùn) primarily means 'to be sleepy' or 'tired'. It can also imply a state of being surrounded or besieged, often used figuratively to describe feeling overwhelmed or distressed. Common contexts include discussions about fatigue or when one feels burdened by circumstances.
Strokes12Radical目Frequency#44374DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, being '睡不醒' (unable to wake up) is often humorously acknowledged, especially among students and workers who pull late nights. The concept of fatigue is frequently expressed in idiomatic phrases.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person feeling so sleepy that they are surrounded by pillows (the character's structure suggests being encircled) and can’t escape the comfort—this represents both the feeling of tiredness and being overwhelmed.
Meanings of 睏
kùn(kun4)
1to surround; to besiege; surrounded, in distress; poor; tired, sleepy
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 睏
睏Simplified
12Strokes
目Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 睏
Podcast: 睏
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AI Study Notes for 睏
Quick Contrast
困 (kùn) vs 疲 (pí) — use 睏 (kùn) specifically for sleepiness, while 疲 (pí) denotes general fatigue.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person feeling so sleepy that they are surrounded by pillows (the character's structure suggests being encircled) and can’t escape the comfort—this represents both the feeling of tiredness and being overwhelmed.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 睏 (kùn) with the similar-sounding困 (kùn), which means 'to be in a difficult situation'. Be careful with the tone, as 睏 is pronounced with a falling tone. Common collocations include 睏得很 (very sleepy) or 睏得不行 (extremely tired).
HSK Study Tips
Although 睏 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it is useful for HSK Level 3 students who are learning about emotions and states of being. Focus on its usage in sentences related to feelings of tiredness or being overwhelmed.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, being '睡不醒' (unable to wake up) is often humorously acknowledged, especially among students and workers who pull late nights. The concept of fatigue is frequently expressed in idiomatic phrases.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes use 睏 incorrectly in contexts where they mean 'trapped' or 'stuck', confusing it with 困 (kùn). For example, saying '我感到睏在家里' should be corrected to '我感到困在家里' (I feel stuck at home).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 睏
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Cultural Notes for 睏
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, being '睡不醒' (unable to wake up) is often humorously acknowledged, especially among students and workers who pull late nights. The concept of fatigue is frequently expressed in idiomatic phrases.
Word Family of 睏
Words Containing This Character20
困难kùnnandifficult困難
困kùnto trap
困扰kùnrǎoto perplex困擾
贫困pínkùnpoverty貧困
困惑kùnhuòbewildered
困境kùnjìngplight
穷困destitute窮困
围困to besiege圍困
困苦deprivation
犯困(coll.) to get sleepy犯睏
困窘embarrassment
困倦tired
困顿fatigued困頓
扶贫济困to help the poor扶貧濟困
困厄in deep water
困觉(dialect) to sleep睏覺
春困spring fatigue
扶危济困to help those in distress (idiom)扶危濟困
困守to stand a siege
发困to get sleepy發睏
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 困难 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 睏
You can say '我今天很睏' which means 'I am very sleepy today.'
Yes, 睏 is often used in informal conversations about feeling tired.
Yes, synonyms include 累 (lèi), which means 'tired', but 睏 specifically conveys the feeling of sleepiness.
