How to say "poverty" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 貧困ひんこんna-adjective, no-adjectiveThe most neutral word for poverty as a condition, covering both personal hardship and poverty as a social issue. Typical in discussions of poverty rates, policies, and problems.
- 困窮こんきゅうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbPoverty understood as being in difficulties, unable to get by. It emphasizes the state of being hard pressed, as when a household or business has fallen into dire straits.
- 窮乏きゅうぼうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbPoverty as acute lack or destitution, with a formal, written flavor. It suits descriptions of severe privation, such as a region or family lacking the bare necessities.
- 貧ひんnounA terse, literary word for poverty or penury, mostly confined to set expressions and written style. Seldom the word you want in ordinary speech; treat it as a stylistic or classical option.
- 不自由ふじゆうnoun, na-adjective, suru verb, intransitive verbPoverty as want or lack in daily life, framed as not having enough money to live comfortably. Common in phrases about being hard up, though its core meaning is broader: inconvenience or lack.彼らは何一つ不自由なものはなかった。↗They lacked for nothing.
Use 貧困 for poverty as a broad social or personal condition, 困窮 or 窮乏 for being hard up or destitute, 貧 chiefly in literary or set expressions, and 不自由 for want or lack in everyday circumstances.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
