Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 貧しい | mazushii | [ma̠zɨɕiː] (narrow) |
| 貧乏な | binbō na |
These terms describe having few or no possessions or money. While they all relate to a lack of resources, 貧しい is often used in a literary or figurative sense to describe a lack of non-material things, such as an impoverished spirit or heart.
Which one should you use?
貧しい (mazushii) is a literary or formal term used to describe poverty or a lack of resources, such as a poor harvest. 貧乏な (binbō na) is a colloquial form used in daily conversation to describe a person's actual lack of money. For a very formal expression specifically referring to experiencing dire poverty or extreme financial hardship, you might use 困窮している.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjectival form 貧乏な can be used as the noun 貧乏 to mean "poverty".
How do you pronounce it?
mazushii
Did you know?
- In Japanese literature, the word 貧しい (mazushii) is often used to evoke a sense of 'wabi-sabi', where a lack of material wealth is seen as a source of aesthetic beauty.
- If you call someone 貧乏 (binbō) in a joking way, you might be referring to someone who is 'stingy' rather than just having no money.
- Using the word 困窮 (konkyū) to describe being broke is so intense that it sounds like you are a character in a tragic historical drama. It is far too heavy for a casual conversation about running out of cash.
Examples in context
- トムは貧しい。Tom is poor.This sentence shows how to use 貧しい to describe a person.Tatoeba #7432609 by Ninja, translation #1024902 by CK
- 私は貧しい男です。I am a poor man.This sentence shows how to use 貧しい to describe a man.Tatoeba #3456488 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #2093605 by ssss4444
- 彼は貧乏なままだった。He remained a poor man.This sentence shows the use of 貧乏な to describe a person's state.Tatoeba #100495 by bunbuku, translation #303203 by Zifre
- 家族はとても貧しいです。Our family is very poor.
- 一部の市民は困窮しているため、支援が必要です。Some citizens are in dire poverty, so they require assistance.
- 彼は貧乏だから、贅沢はできない。He's poor, so he can't afford extravagance.
- 最近ちょっと貧乏で、節約しなきゃいけないんだよね。I've been a little poor recently, so I need to start saving.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are discussing a historical novel they just read.
- 大翔 Hiroto物語の主人公は、とても貧しい生活を送っていました。Monogatari no shujinkou wa, totemo mazushii seikatsu o okutte imashita.The protagonist of the story led a very poor life.
- 陽葵 Himariそうですね、彼はとても貧しい環境で育ったようです。Sou desu ne, kare wa totemo mazushii kankyou de sodatta you desu.That's true, it seems he grew up in a very poor environment.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれでも、彼は夢を諦めませんでした。Soredemo, kare wa yume o akirame masen deshita.Even so, he did not give up on his dreams.
- 陽葵 Himariとても感動的なストーリーですね。Totemo kandouteki na sutoorii desu ne.It is a very moving story, isn't it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor” translations and entries 貧しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
