窮屈

きゅうくつ · kyuukutsu · JLPT N1 · na-adj

narrow

🚪 窮 (cornered, stuck) + 屈 (bend) = stuck and bent in a tight space: narrow, tight

The 窮 in 窮屈 means cornered or stuck, as in 貧窮 (poverty). 屈 means to bend. Stuck and bent together give cramped or stiff, which is also used for formal, rigid manners.

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