Nihoner
貧乏
binbou
also spelled binbo
poverty-stricken, destitute, poor, penurious
All Senses
  1. binbou poverty-stricken, destitute, poor, penurious
How it's used

A blunt, everyday word for being broke; stronger and less polite than 貧しい, often self-deprecating or humorous.

貧乏なので旅行に行けない。
Binbou na node ryokou ni ikenai.
I'm too broke to go on a trip.

貧乏でも家族は仲がいい。
Binbou demo kazoku wa naka ga ii.
Even though we're poor, the family gets along well.

⚖️ 貧しい is a more neutral, literary word for lacking wealth, while 貧乏 is blunter and often used lightly about oneself.

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Kanji Breakdown
貧
Poverty, Poor
On: ひん,びん Kun: まず.しい
11 strokes N3
乏
Destitution, Scarce, Limited
On: ぼう Kun: とぼ.しい,とも.しい
4 strokes N1
How to Use This Word
Noun (名詞)
Pattern
貧乏は〜です。 / 〜の貧乏

💡 Use は or が to mark this word as the topic or subject of a sentence.

Example
この貧乏はとても大切です。
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Lv 1
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