How to Write 窭 (jù) — Meaning “poor / impoverished”

Imagine a poor person living in a small cave (穴) with only a single old basket (娄) to hold all their belongings. The image of a cave and a basket together reminds you that 窭 means 'poor' or 'destitute.'

Write the radical 穴 first (3 strokes: dot, dot, upward hook), then 娄 (9 strokes: left-falling, horizontal, vertical, horizontal, horizontal, left-falling, horizontal, horizontal, vertical). A common mistake is making the 穴 cover too much width — keep it just wide enough to sit neatly above the 娄, and ensure the lower part isn't squeezed.

窖 (jiào) means 'cellar' or 'pit' and has the bottom component 告 (to tell), while 窗 (chuāng) means 'window' and has a bottom component 囱 (chimney). In contrast, 窭 has the bottom 娄 (basket) and refers to poverty, not a physical structure like a cellar or window.

窭 is a classical, literary character rarely used in everyday speech; it appears mostly in formal writing or idioms like 贫窭 (pín jù, destitute). Culturally, it evokes the image of extreme hardship from ancient times, often describing scholars or peasants living in abject poverty without modern connotations.

Common words containing 窭 include: 贫窭 (pín jù) — Destitute / Poverty-stricken; 窭陋 (jù lòu) — poor and crude; 窭人 (jù rén) — poor person.