The character 困 — “sleepy”: how to write it and what it means
sleepy; in difficulty
The Chinese character 困 is read kùn and means “sleepy; in difficulty”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 困
困 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 困, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 困 is made of
Outside, 囗 “enclosure”; inside, 木 “tree”: the tree is cramped.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 困
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 困?
困 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 困 mean?
困 means “sleepy; in difficulty”. It appears in 困难 (“difficulty”), 困扰 (“trouble”), 贫困 (“poor”).
How do you pronounce 困?
困 is read kùn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 困 have?
7 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 困 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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