pínqióng: 贫穷 - Poor, Impoverished, Poverty

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 贫穷 (pínqióng), which means “poor,” “impoverished,” or “poverty.” This page explains the deep cultural significance of poverty in China, from historical ideals to modern-day poverty alleviation. Discover the crucial difference between the formal 贫穷 (pínqióng) and the common slang 穷 (qióng), and learn how to use it accurately in sentences about society, economics, and personal background.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): pínqióng
• Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: Lacking sufficient material possessions or income for a person's needs; impoverished.
• In a Nutshell: 贫穷 (pínqióng) is the formal and serious word for “poverty.” Think of it as the word you'd see in a news report, a government document, or a sociological study. While the single character 穷 (qióng) is used casually to mean “I'm broke,” 贫穷 describes a more profound, systemic state of being poor or the societal issue of poverty itself. It carries a heavy weight and is not used lightly.

• 贫 (pín): This character is composed of 分 (fēn), meaning “to divide,” and 贝 (bèi), the symbol for shells, which were ancient currency. The image is of one's money or assets being “divided” away, leading to a state of poverty.
• 穷 (qióng): This character shows a person 躬 (gōng), “to stoop or bow,” inside a cave 穴 (xué). It originally depicted someone trapped or cornered in a cave, suggesting being at an end, exhausted, or with nowhere to go. This meaning extended to being financially exhausted or depleted.
• Together, 贫穷 (pínqióng) combines the idea of having one's wealth diminished (贫) with a state of complete exhaustion of resources (穷), creating a powerful and formal term for deep-seated poverty.

贫穷 (pínqióng) is a concept with immense weight in Chinese culture, reflecting a dramatic shift in national values. Historically, Daoist and some Confucian thought espoused an ideal of being content in poverty (安贫乐道 - ānpínlèdào), valuing spiritual wealth over material possessions. However, the last several decades have been defined by the opposite: a nationwide, government-led war on poverty. Unlike the Western concept of poverty, which is often framed around individual struggle and opportunity, 贫穷 in modern China is treated as a collective, national challenge. The term is central to the government's narrative of progress, with phrases like 扶贫 (fúpín - to alleviate poverty) and 脱贫 (tuōpín - to escape poverty) being ubiquitous in media and policy. This reflects a collectivist approach, where lifting regions and populations out of poverty is a shared national goal and a measure of the government's success. Deng Xiaoping's famous phrase, “To get rich is glorious,” marked a definitive turning point, making the elimination of 贫穷 a cornerstone of modern Chinese identity.

贫穷 is primarily used in formal or serious contexts. You will rarely, if ever, hear someone use it to describe their own temporary lack of cash.

• Formal and Written Language: It is the standard term for poverty in news articles, academic papers, economic reports, and government announcements.
  • Example: “中国在消除贫穷方面取得了巨大成就。” (China has made great achievements in eliminating poverty.)
• Serious Conversation: When discussing societal problems, a person's difficult upbringing, or the conditions in a particular region, 贫窮 is the appropriate word. It shows you are treating the topic with the gravity it deserves.
• Connotation: It has a strong negative and serious connotation. It implies a significant, often long-term, lack of resources, not just being short on spending money.

• Example 1:
  • 许多孩子因为家庭贫穷而无法上学。
  • Pinyin: Xǔduō háizi yīnwèi jiātíng pínqióng ér wúfǎ shàngxué.
  • English: Many children cannot go to school due to family poverty.
  • Analysis: Here, 贫穷 is used as a noun (“poverty”) to describe the systemic condition of the family that leads to a serious consequence.
• Example 2:
  • 他出生在一个贫穷的山区。
  • Pinyin: Tā chūshēng zài yīgè pínqióng de shānqū.
  • English: He was born in a poor mountainous region.
  • Analysis: 贫穷 is used as an adjective to describe the economic condition of a whole area. This is a very common and standard usage.
• Example 3:
  • 政府的首要任务之一是消除绝对贫穷。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ de shǒuyào rènwù zhī yī shì xiāochú juéduì pínqióng.
  • English: One of the government's top priorities is to eliminate absolute poverty.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the formal, official use of the word in the context of government policy.
• Example 4:
  • 这部电影讲述了一个在贫穷中挣扎的艺术家的故事。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng jiǎngshùle yīgè zài pínqióng zhōng zhēngzhá de yìshùjiā de gùshì.
  • English: This movie tells the story of an artist struggling in poverty.
  • Analysis: “在贫穷中” (zài pínqióng zhōng) means “in poverty,” showing its use as an abstract noun.
• Example 5:
  • 他的童年虽然贫穷，但充满了快乐。
  • Pinyin: Tā de tóngnián suīrán pínqióng, dàn chōngmǎnle kuàilè.
  • English: Although his childhood was impoverished, it was full of happiness.
  • Analysis: This shows 贫穷 used as an adjective to describe a period of life. The “虽然…但…” (suīrán…dàn… - although…but…) structure is very common.
• Example 6:
  • 战争使这个国家陷入了贫穷和混乱。
  • Pinyin: Zhànzhēng shǐ zhège guójiā xiànrùle pínqióng hé hùnluàn.
  • English: The war plunged the country into poverty and chaos.
  • Analysis: 贫穷 is paired with another abstract noun, “混乱” (hùnluàn - chaos), to describe the dire state of a nation.
• Example 7:
  • 我们不能忽视精神上的贫穷。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng hūshì jīngshén shàng de pínqióng.
  • English: We cannot ignore spiritual poverty.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a more abstract usage. “精神上的贫穷” refers to a lack of spiritual or intellectual fulfillment, not material wealth.
• Example 8:
  • 贫穷的根源是复杂的，需要多方面的努力来解决。
  • Pinyin: Pínqióng de gēnyuán shì fùzá de, xūyào duō fāngmiàn de nǔlì lái jiějué.
  • English: The root causes of poverty are complex and require multifaceted efforts to solve.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of 贫穷 as a subject of a sentence, used in a formal, analytical context.
• Example 9:
  • 他决心要摆脱贫穷，改变自己的命运。
  • Pinyin: Tā juéxīn yào bǎituō pínqióng, gǎibiàn zìjǐ de mìngyùn.
  • English: He was determined to escape poverty and change his own destiny.
  • Analysis: “摆脱贫穷” (bǎituō pínqióng) is a common collocation meaning “to break free from poverty.”
• Example 10:
  • 全球贫穷人口的比例正在下降。
  • Pinyin: Quánqiú pínqióng rénkǒu de bǐlì zhèngzài xiàjiàng.
  • English: The proportion of the global poor population is decreasing.
  • Analysis: “贫穷人口” (pínqióng rénkǒu) is a set phrase meaning “the poor population,” common in demographics and economics.

• 贫穷 (pínqióng) vs. 穷 (qióng): This is the most critical distinction.
  • 贫穷 (pínqióng): Formal, serious, abstract. Refers to the state or concept of poverty. Used in writing and serious discussions.
  • 穷 (qióng): Informal, common, personal. Can mean “poor” but is often used to mean “broke.” This is the word you use with friends.
  • Correct: “这个月我很穷，不能出去吃饭了。” (Wǒ hěn qióng - I'm very broke this month.)
  • Incorrect: “这个月我很贫穷。” (This sounds overly dramatic and strange, as if you've suddenly fallen into systemic, dire poverty.)
• “Poor” as in “Low Quality”: In English, we say “a poor excuse” or “poor quality.” 贫穷 cannot be used this way. For low quality, use 差 (chà).
  • Incorrect: 这个产品的质量很贫穷。
  • Correct: 这个产品的质量很差。 (Zhège chǎnpǐn de zhìliàng hěn chà.)
• “Poor” as in “Unfortunate” (Pity): To say “You poor thing,” you express pity. 贫穷 is not used for this. The correct word is 可怜 (kělián).
  • Incorrect: 你真贫穷。 (This means “You are truly impoverished,” which is an insult or a stark observation, not an expression of sympathy.)
  • Correct: 你真可怜。 (Nǐ zhēn kělián - You poor thing / How pitiful.)

• 穷 (qióng): The informal, common, and versatile word for “poor” or “broke.”
• 贫困 (pínkùn): A very close synonym for 贫穷, also formal. The character 困 (kùn) means “trapped” or “in difficulty,” adding a nuance of being stuck in poverty.
• 富裕 (fùyù): A key antonym meaning “prosperous,” “well-to-do,” or “affluent.”
• 扶贫 (fúpín): A crucial modern term meaning “to alleviate poverty” or “poverty alleviation.” (扶 = to support).
• 脱贫 (tuōpín): Means “to escape poverty” or “to shake off poverty.” (脱 = to take off, to escape).
• 贫富差距 (pínfù chājù): A noun phrase meaning “the gap between the rich and the poor.”
• 小康 (xiǎokāng): The concept of a “moderately prosperous society,” the societal goal after eliminating absolute poverty.
• 寒酸 (hánsuān): An adjective describing someone as “shabby” or “miserable-looking,” often as a result of poverty. It focuses more on appearance.