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How to say 'Poor' in Japanese | 貧しい

Wondering how to say 'Poor' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Poor is 'Mazushii', written as 貧しい in Japanese.'Poor' in hiragana is まずしい.

    Meaning

    Poor

    Reading

    まずしい

    mazushii

    Kanji

    Poor

    Explanation

    The Japanese adjective '貧しい (まずしい)' means 'poor'. This adjective is used to describe a lack of material wealth or resources. It can refer to individuals, families, or even regions that are economically disadvantaged. For example: he is poor「彼は貧しい」(かれはまずしい). The village is poor「その村は貧しい」(そのむらはまずしい). Additionally, '貧しい' can also be used metaphorically to describe something that is lacking in quality or richness, such as '貧しい想像力 (まずしいそうぞうりょく) (poor imagination)'. This adjective is often used in contexts discussing social issues, economic conditions, or personal circumstances.

    Part Of Speech

    adjective

    Kanji JLPT

    N3

    Kanji Grade

    5

    Frequency

    3765

    Composition

    kanji-hiragana

    Handwriting

This word is an i-adjective. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 貧しい

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Poor

Hiragana in the Word 貧しい

This word contains 2 Hiragana characters :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    Shi
  • hiragana

    Reading

    I

Words Related to 貧しい Through the Kanji

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 貧 as well.

  • word

    貧乏

    Meaning

    Poor

  • word

    貧乏人

    Meaning

    Poor

Learn the Word 貧しい

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What does 'Mazushii' (貧しい) mean?

'Mazushii' means 'Poor' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.