Taxonomy of meanings for 貧:　　

  • 貧 pín (OC: brɯn MC: bɯin) 符巾切 平 廣韻：【乏也少也符巾切二 】
    • POOR
      • nabsocialpoverty, the state of poverty
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthe poor
      • vadNpoor
      • vichangebecome poor
      • vigraded(of families or states etc.) have very little to live on; (of persons or of states) be poor; be impoverished 甚貧
      • vi0there is poverty
      • vtoNcausativecause to be poor
      • vipsychologicalfeel impoverishedCH
      • vtoNpassive causative: be made poorLZ
      • vadV(starting) from a state of being poorLZ
      • vt+prep+Ninchoativebecome poor because of NDS
      • generalised> RARE
        • grammaticalised> EGO
      • 貧 pín (OC: brɯn MC: bɯin) 符巾切 平 廣韻：【貧古文 】

        Additional information about 貧

        說文解字: 【貧】，財分少也。从貝、从分，分亦聲。 〔小徐本作「從貝、分聲。」〕 【符巾切】 【𡧋】，古文从宀、分。 〔小徐本「分」下有「聲」。〕

          Criteria
        • RICH

          1. The general word for wealth is fù 富 (ant. pín 貧 "poor"), and the word has a remarkably wide range of syntactic roles.

          2. Sù fēng 素封 is an informal way of referring to substantial private wealth not conferred on one by the state.

          3. Zé 澤 "riches, rich benefits" (ant. kùn 困 "hardship") is largely limited to nominal usages and belongs to an elevated stylistic level.

          4. Yù 裕 "be generous to and make rich" (ant. jiǒng 窘 "impoverish") is marginal to the group.

          5. Ráo 饒 (ant. jí 瘠 "weakened and exhausted") refers to richness of land, and is thus also marginal to the group.

        • POOR

          1. The current general word for poverty is pín 貧 (ant. fù 富 "rich"), but the term does not in general refer to transitory poverty.

          2. Qióng 窮 (ant. fù 富 "rich") refers to an extreme state of destitution, which may, however, be transitory, and the word may also refer not so much to poverty as such as marked lack of expected success, professional failure (ant. dá 達 ); and the word may also refer to persons without regular means of support such as widows and orphans.

          3. Fá 乏 (ant. yù 裕 "abundantly supplied") refers to a shortage in a certain commodity or in a certain specified group of commodities.

          4. Kùn 困 (ant.* kuān 寬 "in comfortable economic circumstances") refers to poverty as constituting serious hardship.

          5. Yuē 約 (ant. chuò 綽 "be abundantly supplied") refers to mild poverty or straightened circumstances.

          6. Jué 絕 refers to temporary poverty viewed as the result of a sudden change of circumstances.

          7. Jié 竭 refers a state of extremely low supply that has come about through a gradual change in circumstances.

          8. Jiǒng 窘 (ant. jǐ 給 "be sufficiently supplied") is a rare word referring to a general state of run-down destitution.

          Word relations
        • Inconsist: (POOR)樂/DELIGHT The equally current lè 樂 (ant. āi 哀 "grief") adds to yuè 悅 the dimensions of practical indulgence, psychological and often philosophical depth, and - very often - a dimension of joy that can be shared and appreciated by others, and that is typically lasting if not permanent. See ENJOY
        • Ant: (POOR)富/RICH The general word for wealth is fù 富 (ant. pín 貧 "poor"), and the word has a remarkably wide range of syntactic roles.
        • Epithet: (POOR)氓 / 氓 / 萌/PEOPLE Méng 氓/萌 (ant.* shì mín 士民 "citizens") refers specifically to the common people belonging to the lower echelons of society.
        • Contrast: (POOR)苦/DISTRESS Kǔ 苦 and the much rarer xīn 辛 (ant. lè 樂 "be in a joyful state") refer to a lasting objective state of distress caused by identifiable external conditions.
        • Contrast: (POOR)窮/DISTRESS Qióng 窮 (ant. tōng 通 "have a way out from a difficult situation") refers to a form form of distress as something from which it is impossible or hard to escape.
        • Assoc: (POOR)乏/POOR Fá 乏 (ant. yù 裕 "abundantly supplied") refers to a shortage in a certain commodity or in a certain specified group of commodities.
        • Assoc: (POOR)困/DISTRESS The most representative current general word for distress is probably kùn 困 (ant. ān 安 "be in a good state"), although the group of words discussed here is selected on singularly problematic grounds.
        • Assoc: (POOR)窮/POOR Qióng 窮 (ant. fù 富 "rich") refers to an extreme state of destitution, which may, however, be transitory, and the word may also refer not so much to poverty as such as marked lack of expected success, professional failure (ant. dá 達); and the word may also refer to persons without regular means of support such as widows and orphans.
        • Assoc: (POOR)賤/HUMBLE Jiàn 賤 (ant. 貴 "objectively of high standard, but also personally and subjectively judged to deserve this high status") typically adds to the notion of objectively judged low status that of subjectively appreciated moral decrepitude.