About
The character for poverty, "贫", originates from its traditional form "貧", a phono-semantic compound constructed from the phonetic component "分" (fēn), suggesting division, and the semantic radical "貝" (bèi), which historically symbolized shell money and thus wealth. This configuration conceptually frames poverty as the division or dispersal of assets, leading to material lack. While its primary meaning has consistently referred to the condition of having little wealth, over centuries its usage extended metaphorically to denote various kinds of inadequacy or scarcity, such as in intellectual poverty or barrenness of land, as evidenced in classical and modern compounds. The structural logic of the character has therefore perpetuated a direct association between the management of resources and the state of need.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个地区很贫困。
贫困会影响健康。
政府努力帮助贫民。
教育资源在贫困地区匮乏。
脱贫是许多家庭的目标。
贫富差距是一个社会问题。
尽管物质贫乏，精神却可以丰富。
通过科技创新，可以有效缓解贫困。