Chinese Conversation · Level 67
89 words
Chinese word
贫穷
Pronunciation
Pinyinpín qióng
Meaning
- adjectivepoor
Example
他的家庭很贫穷，但很温暖。tā de jiā tíng hěn pín qióng dàn hěn wēn nuǎn
His family is poor but very warm.
More examples
许多贫穷地区缺乏基本医疗条件。xǔ duō pín qióng dì qū quē fá jī běn yī liáo tiáo jiàn
Many poor areas lack basic medical care.
Core concept
A life pressed by a continuing shortage of money, goods, and basic choices.
Common phrases
贫穷家庭pín qióng jiā tíng
poor households
贫穷地区pín qióng dì qū
poor areas
贫穷人口pín qióng rén kǒu
people living in poverty
Similar words
贫困pín kùn: Being in hardship because essential money and supplies are lacking for everyday living.
穷qióng: Having very little money or property and finding it hard to make a living.
Definition in Chinese
用作形容词，表示在经济或物质方面处于匮乏，生活水平低于一般水平，常指需要帮助或改善的状态。yòng zuò xíng róng cí biǎo shì zài jīng jì huò wù zhì fāng miàn chǔ yú kuì fá shēng huó shuǐ píng dī yú yì bān shuǐ píng cháng zhǐ xū yào bāng zhù huò gǎi shàn de zhuàng tài
Word origin
贫穷 (pínqióng, "poor") is a transparent compound of 贫 (pín, "poor") and 穷 (qióng, "without means"), pairing two related ideas to make the condition clear and emphatic.
Usage tips
- In everyday family conversations, a milder phrase such as 经济不太好 (jīngjì bù tài hǎo, "the finances are not very good") can sound less stark when describing hardship.