poverty, poor

About this kanji

The kanji 「貧」 primarily means "poverty" or "poor." It is commonly used as a noun, but it can also appear in verb forms. For example, in the compound 貧困 (ひんこん), it means "poverty"; 清貧 (せいひん) refers to a state of being "poor without selfish desires"; while 貧血 (ひんけつ) means "anemia," a condition related to a lack of iron. Another term, 貧弱 (ひんじゃく), describes something that is "poor" or "weak." A useful note is that this kanji carries a sense of deficiency, so it often conveys a deeper emotional or social impact beyond just the lack of material wealth.

Example sentences

• 貧困問題に取り組む必要がある。

  We need to address the poverty issue.

Meanings across languages

English

poverty, poor

Tiếng Việt

nghèo nàn

日本語

貧困

한국어

가난한

中文

贫穷

id

kemiskinan

th

ความยากจน

es

pobreza

fr

pauvreté

de

Armut

pt

pobreza

Common compounds

• 貧困ひんこんpoverty, penury, need
• 清貧せいひんpoverty without selfish desire, honourable poverty (honorable), being poor yet honest
• 貧血ひんけつanemia, anaemia
• 貧弱ひんじゃくpoor, meagre, meager
• 貧富ひんぷwealth and poverty, rich and poor
• 貧乏びんぼうpoverty-stricken, destitute, poor
• 貧しいまずしいpoor, needy, lacking (quantity and quality-wise)
• 貧乏人びんぼうにんpoor person, the poor