穷乡僻壤 (qióng xiāng pì rǎng) — remote and impoverished area; backwater

Definition

A literary chengyu for a remote, poor, and culturally isolated place — usually said with a touch of pity or to emphasize how backward an area is. Note: 穷 here means 'impoverished', not just 'financially tight'.

idiom
remote and impoverished areabackwater

Examples

  • 穷乡僻壤，。
    Zhè ge qióng xiāng pì rǎng suī rán piān pì, dàn fēng jǐng hěn měi.
    Although this remote and impoverished area is out of the way, the scenery is beautiful.
  • 穷乡僻壤，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo zài qióng xiāng pì rǎng zhǎng dà, hòu lái kǎo shàng le míng pái dà xué.
    He grew up in a remote and impoverished area and later got into a prestigious university.
  • 穷乡僻壤。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài nǔ lì gǎi shàn qióng xiāng pì rǎng de jī chǔ shè shī.
    The government is working hard to improve the infrastructure in remote and impoverished areas.

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.

穷乡poor countryside
穷qióngpoor乡xiāngcountryside
偏正Modifier + head
僻壤remote land
僻pìremote壤rǎngland
偏正Modifier + head

穷乡 (poor countryside) and 僻壤 (remote land) together mean a backwater.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 窮; 穷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave; nest; confinement
Sound part声符shēngfú
躬
躬gōng窮qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 窮, 穴 (cave; nest; confinement) gives the sense and 躬 gives the sound; this is about 窮, not the simplified 穷.

Open 穷 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄉; 乡 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠨍𠨍𠨍two people facing each other
  • 皀皀jía round-mouthed food vessel

The traditional form 鄉 combines two people facing each other with a round-mouthed food vessel, depicting a feast. The village meaning is connected to this feasting event.

Open 乡 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 僻 →

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
土土tǔearth, dirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
襄
襄xiāng壤rǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 土 is earth or dirt, showing the meaning; the right side 襄 gives the sound.

Open 壤 →

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