Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ग़रीब | ġarīb | /ɣə.ɾiːb/ (Hindi, Standard) /ɡə.ɾiːb/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| दीन | dīn | /d̪iːn/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| मिस्कीन | miskīn | |
| बेचारा | becārā | /beː.t͡ʃɑː.ɾɑː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The primary way to describe someone with few or no possessions or money is through the adjective ग़रीब. If you want to refer to the concept of 'poverty' itself, use the noun ग़रीबी. Additionally, the phrase गरीबी में translates to 'in poverty'. While the term मज़दूर literally means 'worker' or 'laborer', it is also frequently used as an adjective to describe someone from a lower-income background.
Which one should you use?
While ग़रीब is the most common and universally accepted term, other words carry specific connotations. दीन is a highly literary or poetic term that implies a state of being lowly, humble or submissive in addition to being poor. मिस्कीन is used to describe someone who is extremely destitute or humble.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
मिस्कीन is a more formal or literary term often used in religious or poetic contexts. दीन is used in highly literary or poetic situations.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ग़रीब remains unchanged regardless of whether the noun it modifies is masculine or feminine. For the concept of 'poverty', use the noun ग़रीबी.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ġarīb. It has two syllables: /ɣə.ɾiːb/.
Did you know?
- The Arabic root of ग़रीब is actually related to the concept of being 'strange' or 'alien' in its original form. This demonstrates how words can shift meanings entirely as they cross borders and languages.
- The term बेचारा means 'poor' in a sympathetic sense, like 'poor soul', rather than a financial one. It comes from the Persian words for 'without' and 'remedy' or 'help'.
- In Hindi, the adjective ग़रीब is quite flexible and does not change its form based on whether it describes a male or a female subject. This is different from many other adjectives in the language.
Examples in context
- सामी ग़रीब देश में रहता है।Sami lives in a poor country.This sentence illustrates the use of ग़रीब to describe a country.Tatoeba #10965895 by sabretou, translation #7992587 by OsoHombre
- टाम ग़रीब है लेकिन वह खुश है।Tom is poor, but he's happy.This sentence shows the use of ग़रीब to describe a person's financial state.Tatoeba #5529366 by eeyinn, translation #3559657 by CK
- मुझे अपने पिता की ग़रीबी पर शर्म नहीं आती है।I'm not ashamed of my father being poor.This sentence uses the adjective ग़रीब in the context of a father's poverty.Tatoeba #498226 by minshirui, translation #261524 by CM
- बहुत सालों से वह गरीबी में तपता रहा है।He has been burning in poverty for many years.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Amit are talking about a neighbor.
- प्रिया Priyaक्या वह आदमी ग़रीब है?Kya vah aadmi gareeb hai?Is that man poor?
- अमित Amitहाँ, वह बहुत ग़रीब है।Haan, vah bahut gareeb hai.Yes, he is very poor.
- प्रिया Priyaहमें उसकी मदद करनी चाहिए।Hamein uski madad karni chahiye.We should help him.
- अमित Amitतुम सही कह रही हो।Tum sahi kah rahi ho.You are right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor” translations and entries ग़रीब, दीन, बेचारा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ग़रीब, दीन, बेचारा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
