Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 乏

乏

Level:N1 Low
Strokes:4
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji character 乏 primarily conveys the idea of "lack," "scarcity," "poverty," or "deficiency." It suggests an absence or insufficiency of something, whether it be material resources, abilities, or emotional states. It implies a state of being in short supply or depleted.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): ボウ (bou) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): とぼ(しい) (tobo(shii)) - meaning "scarce," "poor," "meager"

Usage Examples

⚫︎乏しい資源 Translation: Scarce resources ⚫︎才能に乏しい Translation: Lacking in talent ⚫︎食糧が乏しい Translation: Scarcity of food

Origin and Formation

The kanji 乏 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound. The left part is the radical 一 (ichi - one), and the right part is 乏 (the original character). The original form of the character appears to depict a situation where resources are limited. The character's evolution reflects the concept of things being few or lacking.

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