LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N4Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Poor in Japanese: 貧乏びんぼう (びんぼう), 貧まずしい, かわいそう, and 下手へた explained

"Poor" is not one word in Japanese: 貧乏びんぼう (びんぼう) means having no money, 貧まずしい (まずしい) means serious, lasting poverty, かわいそう means "poor thing" (pity), and 下手へた (へた) means "poor at" something.

English lets one word cover four different ideas. Japanese makes you choose before you speak, and the wrong choice can sound dramatic, cold, or accidentally rude. This article sorts the four meanings, shows which one to reach for, and covers the mistakes that come up most.

The basics

Which Japanese word means "poor" as in "no money"?

For everyday "I'm broke" talk, the word is 貧乏びんぼう. It is casual, often self-deprecating, and used with a smile.

私わたしは貧乏びんぼうです。 — I'm poor. (plain statement, often a joke or a shrug) 貧乏学生びんぼうがくせいだから、外食がいしょくは少すくないです。 — I'm a poor student, so I rarely eat out. (polite, light self-deprecation)

貧乏学生びんぼうがくせい (びんぼうがくせい), "the broke student", is a stock phrase. Nobody hears it as a cry for help. It is the Japanese version of "I'm a starving student."

What does 貧まずしい mean, and when do you use it?

貧まずしい (まずしい) describes real, serious poverty, in a written or formal tone. It is the word for a history book, a news report, or a novel, not for complaining about your wallet.

彼かれは貧まずしい家いえに生うまれた。 — He was born into a poor family. (written style, serious) 貧まずしい暮くらしの中なかでも、彼女かのじょは笑わらっていた。 — She kept smiling even in a life of poverty. (literary, narrative)

The difference is weight. 貧乏びんぼう is something you can joke about. 貧まずしい is something you describe about a situation with respect, from the outside.

How do you say "that poor thing" in Japanese?

When "poor" means "I feel sorry for them," Japanese uses かわいそう. This has nothing to do with money.

かわいそうに。 — Oh, the poor thing. (casual, said to yourself or a friend) あの犬いぬ、かわいそう。 — That poor dog. (casual, sympathy) 雨あめの中なかで待まっていたなんて、かわいそうだね。 — To have waited in the rain, how awful for them. (casual, sympathy)

A more formal, polite version is お気の毒きのどくに (おきのどくに), used at funerals or when someone has bad news. 気の毒きのどくです is careful and respectful, while かわいそう can come with a slightly "looking down on someone" flavor. More on that below.

How do you say "poor at" something, like singing?

Use 下手へた (へた): "poor at, unskilled at." The pattern is 〜が下手へたです.

歌うたが下手へたです。 — I'm poor at singing. (polite, about yourself) 料理りょうりが下手へたなので、いつも外そとで食たべます。 — I'm bad at cooking, so I always eat out. (polite, about yourself)

Its opposite is 上手じょうず (じょうず), "good at". Its softer cousin is 苦手にがて (にがて), "not my strength", which also covers things you simply dislike. We keep that short here because it already has a full article: see 上手じょうず, 得意とくい, 下手へた, 苦手にがて: good at and bad at in Japanese.

Which "poor" maps to which word?

English "poor" meaning Japanese Tone Example
Has no money (casual, joking) 貧乏びんぼう casual, light 貧乏学生びんぼうがくせい
Serious poverty (written, formal) 貧まずしい formal, serious 貧まずしい家いえ
Short of cash this month 金欠きんけつ (きんけつ) slang 今月こんげつは金欠きんけつだ
Poor thing (pity) かわいそう casual, soft かわいそうに
Poor thing (formal pity) お気の毒きのどくに polite お気の毒きのどくです
Poor at (a skill) 下手へた plain, a little blunt 歌うたが下手へた
Not good at / dislike 苦手にがて softer, polite 数学すうがくが苦手にがて

Beyond the basics

What is 金欠きんけつ, and how is it different from 貧乏びんぼう?

金欠きんけつ (きんけつ) is slang for "short of cash right now." It is temporary, like "I'm broke until payday." 貧乏びんぼう is more of a general state or personality.

今月こんげつは金欠きんけつだから、飲のみに行いけない。 — I'm broke this month, so I can't go drinking. (casual, temporary) 給料日きゅうりょうびまで金欠きんけつだよ。 — I'm broke until payday. (casual, with friends)

If the money is only gone for a short time, 金欠きんけつ fits. If you mean "I live on a tight budget in general," 貧乏びんぼう fits. A plain, neutral version of both is お金かねがない, "I don't have money." For more words around cash, see お金かね and money in Japanese.

Is 貧乏びんぼう the same as "cheap"?

No. 貧乏びんぼう is about a person's money. 安やすい is about a price. A 貧乏びんぼうな人ひと is a person without much money, while 安やすい店みせ is a store with low prices. If you want the price word, read 安やすい and cheap in Japanese.

貧乏びんぼうだから、安やすい店みせに行いきます。 — I'm broke, so I go to cheap shops. (polite, both words in one sentence)

What happens with 貧乏びんぼう as an adjective-like word?

貧乏びんぼう works as a noun and as a な-adjective: 貧乏びんぼうな人ひと, 貧乏びんぼうな生活せいかつ. You can also add する: 貧乏びんぼうする means "to live in poverty, to struggle for money."

若わかいころは、ずいぶん貧乏びんぼうしました。 — I struggled with money a lot when I was young. (polite, looking back with a smile)

This is a very natural way for an adult to look back on lean years.

How does "poor" sound in anime?

Anime loves 貧乏びんぼう because it is both funny and sympathetic. The "broke character" is a classic: someone eating plain rice, skipping meals, or counting coins. They say things like:

また今日きょうもご飯はんだけか…。貧乏びんぼうはつらいな。 — Just rice again today... being poor is tough. (casual, comedic, muttered) 貧乏人びんぼうにんをなめるなよ! — Don't underestimate us poor people! (casual, rough, a battle cry)

There is also folklore here. A 貧乏神びんぼうがみ (びんぼうがみ) is a "god of poverty", a spirit said to cling to a household and keep it broke. It appears as a joke or a villain in stories, and a series like 貧乏神びんぼうがみが! builds its whole premise on the idea. When a character says 貧乏神びんぼうがみがついてる, they mean "I'm cursed with bad money luck."

かわいそう shows up in anime too, often as a tearful あの子こ、かわいそう, or as a sneering cruelty: a villain who says かわいそうに is not offering sympathy at all.

Common mistakes

  • Describing yourself as 貧まずしい in casual talk. 私わたしは貧まずしいです sounds like a line from a documentary about hardship. For a casual "I'm broke," say 貧乏びんぼう or 金欠きんけつ. Save 貧まずしい for serious, written descriptions, or for other people's real poverty in a respectful tone.
  • Saying 下手へた about someone else, directly. あなたは歌うたが下手へたですね is blunt, almost an insult. About yourself, 下手へた is fine, even modest. About others, soften it or avoid it: 苦手にがてなんですね is gentler, or simply say nothing about skill.
  • Using かわいそう to someone's face. Telling someone あなたはかわいそう says "you are pitiful." Use it about third parties, animals, or situations, or switch to 大変たいへんでしたね ("that must have been hard") for real sympathy.
  • Mixing up 貧乏びんぼう and 安やすい. Words for people's money and words for prices are separate. 私わたしの財布さいふは安やすい is nonsense. Say 貧乏びんぼうです or 安やすい店みせに行いく.
  • Translating "poor quality" as 貧乏びんぼう. For a poor-quality thing, Japanese uses 質しつが悪わるい or 粗末そまつな (そまつな). 貧乏びんぼうな食事しょくじ would suggest a meal that is "poor" in a financial sense, while 粗末そまつな食事しょくじ is a rough or meagre meal.

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 5 and 6 are a pair on the key contrast between 下手へた and 苦手にがて.

1. You laugh about being a broke student. Which word: 貧乏びんぼう or 貧まずしい?

Show answer

貧乏びんぼう — casual and light, fine for self-deprecating jokes. 貧まずしい is too heavy.

2. A history textbook describes a family in serious poverty. Which word fits better: 貧乏びんぼう or 貧まずしい?

Show answer

貧まずしい — formal, written, serious. 貧乏びんぼう is more casual.

3. You see a stray dog in the rain and feel sorry for it. Say "That poor dog."

Show answer

あの犬いぬ、かわいそう — かわいそう is "poor thing" (pity), not about money.

4. You are short of cash until payday. What slang word fits?

Show answer

金欠きんけつ — temporary shortage of cash. 今月こんげつは金欠きんけつだ.

5. Say "I'm poor at singing" about yourself.

Show answer

歌うたが下手へたです — 下手へた about yourself is fine and a little modest.

6. You want to say a friend is "not really good at" singing without sounding blunt. Which is gentler, 下手へた or 苦手にがて?

Show answer

苦手にがて — it softens "poor at" into "not their strength." 下手へた about another person is blunt.

7. Why is 私わたしは貧まずしいです odd when you just have no money this month?

Show answer

貧まずしい describes serious, lasting poverty in a formal tone. For a casual "I'm broke," 貧乏びんぼう or 金欠きんけつ is natural.

8. What does 貧乏神びんぼうがみがついてる mean?

Show answer

"A god of poverty is clinging to me" — a joking way to say "I have terrible money luck."

9. What is a formal, polite way to say "poor thing" at a sad event?

Show answer

お気の毒きのどくに — formal and respectful, unlike casual かわいそう.

10. Which word means a price is low: 貧乏びんぼう or 安やすい?

Show answer

安やすい — 安やすい is for prices, 貧乏びんぼう is for a person's money.

A trial lesson is a good place to separate 貧乏びんぼう, かわいそう and 下手へた by describing a broke student, a stray cat and a bad singer.

FAQ

Is 貧乏びんぼう rude to say? Not about yourself, where it is usually light and humorous. About someone else, 貧乏びんぼうな人ひと can sound harsh, so describe the situation neutrally instead, for example お金かねがない or 大変たいへんそう.

What is the difference between 貧乏びんぼう and 貧まずしい in one line? 貧乏びんぼう is casual and often joking. 貧まずしい is formal and serious, used for real, lasting poverty.

Can I use かわいそう to say "poor you" to a friend? Better not. かわいそう can sound like you are looking down on the person. 大変たいへんだったね or お疲つかれさま is warmer when you are talking to them directly.

Is 下手へた rude? About yourself, it is a normal modest word. About others it is blunt, so many speakers soften it with 苦手にがて or avoid commenting on skill at all.

How do I say "poor" about quality, like "poor service"? Use 悪わるい, as in サービスが悪わるい, or 質しつが低ひくい. 貧乏びんぼう and 貧まずしい are for people's money, not for quality.

How do I say "poor me" in a joking way? 私わたしってかわいそう can be used jokingly, or 貧乏人びんぼうにんの悲かなしさよ in a playful, theatrical voice. Anime characters do this a lot.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

貧乏	びんぼう — poor, broke (casual)
貧しい	まずしい — poor, in poverty (formal)
金欠	きんけつ — short of cash (slang)
かわいそう	かわいそう — poor thing, pitiful
気の毒	きのどく — pitiable (formal)
下手	へた — poor at, unskilled
苦手	にがて — not good at, weak point
上手	じょうず — good at
貧乏神	びんぼうがみ — god of poverty
貧乏学生	びんぼうがくせい — broke student
粗末	そまつ — poor, meagre (quality)
財布	さいふ — wallet

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, which comes up in nearly every beginner's first few lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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