穷人 (qióng rén) — poor people | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

poor people

Measure word · 个

Examples

穷人。
Hěn duō qióng rén méi yǒu qián kàn bìng.
Many poor people have no money to see a doctor.
穷人。
Zhèng fǔ yīng gāi bāng zhù qióng rén gǎi shàn shēng huó.
The government should help poor people improve their lives.
穷人，。
Tā lái zì yí gè qióng rén de jiā tíng, suǒ yǐ hěn lǐ jiě tā men de kùn nan.
He comes from a poor family, so he understands their difficulties.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

“穷” (poor) and “人” (person) combine to mean poor people.

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.

穴躬窮

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Appears in

People (General)Social Roles & Status

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