German word

bedürftig

Pronunciation

IPA/bəˈdʏɐ̯ftɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectiveneedy

Example

Viele bedürftige Familien brauchen Hilfe.

Many needy families need assistance.

Illustration for bedürftig (needy)

More examples

Die Tafel verteilt regelmäßig Lebensmittel an bedürftige Familien.

The food bank regularly distributes food to needy families.

Core concept

An empty cupboard and an open hand receiving help.

Common phrases

  • bedürftige Familien

    needy families

  • bedürftige Personen

    needy persons

  • bedürftige Alleinerziehende

    needy single parents

Similar words

arm: Having little money or property and struggling to get by.
hilfsbedürftig: Needing help from other people or public services.
mittellos: Having almost no cash or assets available for payments.
notleidend: Suffering hardship because of disaster or severe poverty.

Definition in German

so, dass jemand wenig materielle Mittel hat und auf fremde Hilfe angewiesen ist

Word origin

Bedürftig is formed from the inherited verb bedürfen with the adjective suffix -ig; bedürfen is an old Germanic verb meaning to need.

Usage tips

  • The adjective commonly appears in bedürftig sein, while the capitalized noun die Bedürftigen means people in need.

Other meanings

  • pooradjective

Opposites

  • reichrichadjective
  • vermögendwealthyadjective

Related words

  • Bedürftigkeitneedinessnoun

Word lists with this word