The word 贫民窟 is formed by combining the character 贫, meaning "poor", with 民, meaning "people", to create 贫民, which signifies "poor people". This compound is then joined with 窟, which literally means "cave" or "den", but in this context serves to denote a place of residence, thereby collectively conveying the concept of a "slum" or "ghetto" as a dwelling area for impoverished individuals.