困

to trap / to surround / hard-pressed / stranded / destitute

困 = 囗 + 木 : Mnemonic symbol: a sleeping bag.

Karl Koala has been putting Christmas trees into boxes all day, and now he is very tired. He climbs one of the Christmas trees he already put into a box, slips into his sleeping bag and falls asleep on the tree.

困 = 囗 + 木 : New mnemonic symbol to avoid confusion with 夗: sleeping pills.

困

睏

kùn = ku + (e)n4

sleepy / tired

困 = 囗 + 木 : New mnemonic symbol to avoid confusion with 夗: sleeping pills.

困 character breakdown

困
- 囗
- 木
  - 八
    - 丿
    - ㇏
  - 十
    - 一
    - 丨

囗

wéi = w + ei2

enclosure

Mnemonic symbol: a plastic enclosure. Willy Walrus (w) is keeping frozen fish in an enclosure (囗) in the Eiffel Tower's kitchen (ei2).

木

mù = mu + Ø4

(bound form) tree / (bound form) wood / unresponsive; numb; wooden

木 = 八 + 十 : Mnemonic symbol: a Christmas tree.

Malte Monkey (mu) is setting up a Christmas tree (木) in the bathroom of the space station (Ø4). He decorates the tree with eight-balls (八) and puts a holy cross (十) at the top of the tree.

Characters with 困 as component

困

睏

kùn = ku + (e)n4

sleepy / tired

困 = 囗 + 木 : New mnemonic symbol to avoid confusion with 夗: sleeping pills.

捆

綑

kǔn = ku + (e)n3

variant of 捆[kun3]

捆 = 困 + 扌 : Karl Koala (ku) wakes up in the encampment ((e)n3) and cannot remember what happened. It seems he has been given sleeping pills (困) and tied together (捆) with elastic toy claws (扌). There are also used bondage (捆) items lying around on the floors.

捆

kǔn = ku + (e)n3

a bunch / to tie together / bundle