Onyomi: ヒン, ビン · Kunyomi: まず.しい · Meanings: poor, poverty
Kanji for poor, poverty
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The kanji 貧 is made from two parts: 貝 (shell, money) and 分 (to divide). In old times, shells were used as money. The right part, 分, means to divide or split. Together, they show the idea of money being divided into small parts — not enough to go around. From this picture comes the meaning “poor,” “lacking,” or “without enough.”
Made from 貝(money) and 分(divide). It shows money being divided into small parts — the idea of having little or being poor.
This kanji says: when money (貝) is divided (分) too much, nothing is left — 貧 means poor or lacking.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 貧 | ひん | poverty, penury, want, need | Noun |
| 貧困 | ひんこん | poverty, penury, need, destitution | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 貧しい | まずしい | poor, needy | common JLPT-N3 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 貧乏 | びんぼう | poverty-stricken, destitute, poor, penurious | common JLPT-N1 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 貧弱 | ひんじゃく | poor, meagre, meager, feeble, scanty, shabby, insubstantial | common JLPT-N1 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |
| 貧血 | ひんけつ | anemia, anaemia | common Noun |
| 貧富 | ひんぷ | wealth and poverty, rich and poor | common Noun |
| 貧乏人 | びんぼうにん | poor person, the poor | common Noun |
| 貧民 | ひんみん | poor people, the poor | Noun |
| 貧相 | ひんそう | poor-looking, impoverished-looking | Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun |