囚

qiú

人 + 囗

Definitions

qiú prisoner

Etymology

Depicts a person (人) trapped inside an enclosure (囗).

About

The character 囚 is an ideogrammic compound that consists of the component 人 (a person) placed inside the radical 囗, which depicts an enclosure or walled space. This arrangement visually captures the idea of confinement: a human figure trapped within boundaries. As a noun, it means prisoner or convict, referring to someone deprived of liberty. As a verb, it means to imprison or confine. The graphic form thus provides a direct link between the character's structure and the physical condition of captivity.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个囚犯很后悔。

Zhège qiúfàn hěn hòuhuǐ.

This prisoner is very remorseful.

他被囚禁在监狱里。

Tā bèi qiújìn zài jiānyù lǐ.

He is imprisoned in jail.

囚禁生活非常艰苦。

Qiújìn shēnghuó fēicháng jiānkǔ.

Life in imprisonment is very hard.

那个囚徒渴望获得自由。

Nàgè qiútú kěwàng huòdé zìyóu.

That prisoner longs for freedom.

警方囚禁了那名嫌疑犯。

Jǐngfāng qiújìnle nà míng xiányífàn.

The police imprisoned that suspect.

囚犯们在监狱里学习技能。

Qiúfànmen zài jiānyù lǐ xuéxí jìnéng.

The prisoners learn skills in prison.

他被错误地囚禁了十年之久。

Tā bèi cuòwù de qiújìnle shí nián zhī jiǔ.

He was wrongly imprisoned for ten years.

囚禁他的地方是一个阴暗的地下室。

Qiújìn tā de dìfāng shì yīgè yīn'àn de dìxiàshì.

The place where he was imprisoned is a dark basement.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 人

Component: 囗

囚