清贫 (qīng pín) — poor but honest; to maintain integrity despite poverty

Definition

清贫 (qīngpín) describes living honestly in poverty — a respected, slightly literary tone that praises the person's integrity, not just their lack of money. Pairs with 生活 to mean 'a life of honorable poverty.'

adjective
poor but honestto maintain integrity despite poverty

Examples

  • 清贫。
    Tā yì shēng guò zhe qīng pín de shēng huó.
    He lived a poor but honest life all his life.
  • 清贫，。
    Suī rán qīng pín, dàn tā cóng bú bào yuàn.
    Although poor but honest, he never complains.
  • 清贫，。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā yì shēng qīng pín, què liú xià le xǔ duō bǎo guì zuò pǐn.
    This writer was poor but honest all his life, yet left many valuable works.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

清qīngpure/honest
贫pínpoor

清 (pure) and 贫 (poor) combine to describe being poor yet honest.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng清qīng
Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Open 清 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貧; 贫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn貧pín
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貧 has 分 above 貝, a money part. 分 gives the sound and means 'divide', giving the image of dividing one's money; the simplified 贫 is a later shorthand.

Open 贫 →

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