清贫

清貧

qīngpín

adjective #46,712

Meanings

1 poor but honest
2 living in honest poverty

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

他一生清贫，却从没拿过别人一分钱。

Tā yìshēng qīngpín, què cóng méi ná guo biéren yì fēn qián.

He lived in honest poverty all his life, yet never took a cent from anyone.

HSK 7-9

那位老教授过着清贫的生活，却把积蓄都捐给了学校。

Nà wèi lǎo jiàoshòu guò zhe qīngpín de shēnghuó, què bǎ jīxù dōu juāngěi le xuéxiào.

The old professor lived frugally, yet donated all his savings to the school.

Tips

usage

Not just ‘poor’: 清 adds ‘clean’, poor because one will not take what is not one’s own. Plain poverty is 贫穷. 方志敏’s 1935 essay 《清贫》 is a school classic.

Stroke Order

清 qīng

贫 pín