貧乏・貧之|びんぼうbinbou[1]atamadaka (head-high)
ビンボーbinboo
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Which spelling to use
貧乏貧乏 is the most common written form and the recommended choice for learners; use it when writing this word.
貧之貧之 is a less common variant written with irregular kanji; learners will seldom need to produce it and should recognize it as an alternative spelling.
Definitions
- na-adjective, noun, suru verb, intransitive verbpoverty-stricken; destitute; poor; penurious
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 貧乏する（びんぼうする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 貧乏します（びんぼうします） |
| Negative (nai) | 貧乏しない（びんぼうしない） |
| polite (masen) | 貧乏しません（びんぼうしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 貧乏せず・貧乏せぬ（びんぼうせず・びんぼうせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 貧乏した（びんぼうした） |
| polite (mashita) | 貧乏しました（びんぼうしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 貧乏しなかった（びんぼうしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 貧乏しませんでした（びんぼうしませんでした） |
| Te form | 貧乏して（びんぼうして） |
| Potential | 貧乏できる（びんぼうできる） |
| Passive | 貧乏される（びんぼうされる） |
| Causative | 貧乏させる（びんぼうさせる） |
| Causative passive | 貧乏させられる（びんぼうさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 貧乏すれば（びんぼうすれば） |
| tara | 貧乏したら（びんぼうしたら） |
| Volitional | 貧乏しよう（びんぼうしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 貧乏しましょう（びんぼうしましょう） |
| Imperative | 貧乏しろ（びんぼうしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym貧困ひんこんWrittenA noun for poverty hitting individuals, families, or society; also a lack of knowledge and the like. More formal than 「貧乏」, the everyday word for being poor.
- Synonym貧しいまずしいNeutralAn adjective covering both poverty and lack, as in 「貧しい家庭」 or 「心が貧しい」; leans toward written style.
- Synonym困窮こんきゅうWrittenA noun for being driven into hardship and destitution in daily life, as in 「生活困窮者」; common in administrative language.
- Synonym窮乏きゅうぼうWrittenA written-style noun for destitution that stresses lacking material goods and supplies; more formal than 「貧乏」.
- Synonym貧ひんWrittenA noun for poverty used mostly in compounds like 「貧富」; on its own it reads as written style.
- Synonym貧窮ひんきゅうWrittenA noun for extreme poverty; written in tone and rare in modern Japanese.
- Related乏しいとぼしいNeutralAn adjective for lacking or running short of something, as in 「経験が乏しい」; not limited to money.
- RelatedすかんぴんCasualA colloquial noun for being penniless, without a cent to your name; carries a joking, tongue-in-cheek tone.
- Related金欠きんけつCasualA colloquial noun for being temporarily short of money, with a light-hearted feel, as in 「今月は金欠だ」.
- Related貧寒ひんかんWrittenA noun for grinding poverty and hardship; written style with a literary flavor.
- Related貧苦ひんくWrittenA noun for the suffering that poverty brings; written style, as in 「貧苦にあえぐ」.
- RelatedしがないCasualA colloquial adjective for humble and insignificant, by extension poor; often self-deprecating, as in 「しがない会社員」.
Use 「貧乏」 for everyday talk about being poor, as in 「貧乏暮らし」. For poverty as a social issue pick 「貧困」, for people driven into hardship 「困窮」, for a temporary cash shortage 「金欠」, for being flat broke 「素寒貧」, and for lacking things in general 「乏しい」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
