贫

貧
pín
component #16,756

Meanings

  1. 1 poor
  2. 2 inadequate
  3. 3 garrulous

Examples

HSK 4
Pínkùn
poverty-stricken
HSK 5
Pínqióng
poor; impoverished

Tips

usage
分 to divide + 贝 money - when money is divided too much, poverty results

Components

radical
贝 bèi
cowrie shell; money
Bottom shell radical, depicting a cowrie shell - the earliest Chinese currency. Anchors 贫 in the money family alongside 财 (wealth), 货 (goods), 贷 (loan), 贵 (expensive). With 分 above (splitting), the picture is of money divided thin and apart: poverty as wealth-scattered.
phonetic
分 fēn
to divide; split
Top 分 supplies the sound - fēn drifting to pín through the regular f/p alternation in old readings. It also adds semantic flavour: 分 means 'to split, to share out.' Stacked over money below, 贫 reads as 'money divided up' - wealth scattered into small portions, the picture of poverty.

Stroke Order

贫 pín