贫寒 (pín hán) — poverty-stricken, destitute (of a family or background)

Definition

Describes a family or background that is poor and lacking in material comforts, used in a literary or written tone. Pairs with 出身 or 家境.

adjective
poverty-strickendestitute (of a family or background)

Examples

  • 贫寒，。
    Tā chū shēn pín hán, wán quán kào zì jǐ de nǔ lì kǎo shàng le dà xué.
    He came from a poverty-stricken family and got into university entirely through his own effort.
  • 贫寒。
    Nà ge piān yuǎn shān qū de hái zi yīn wèi jiā jìng pín hán ér shàng bù qǐ xué.
    Children in that remote mountain area can't afford school because their families are destitute.
  • 贫寒，。
    Suī rán shēng huó pín hán, dàn zhè yì jiā rén shǐ zhōng bǎo chí lè guān.
    Although they lived in poverty, this family always remained optimistic.

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.

贫pínpoor
寒háncold

Poverty and coldness together describe a destitute, humble background.

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 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 →

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

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 人人rénperson
  • 茻茻mǎnggrass

寒 shows 宀 (house), 人 (person), and 茻 (grass): a person sleeping in grass inside a house to keep out the cold.

Open 寒 →

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