貧弱

• Reading: ひんじゃく
• Romaji: hinjaku
• Kanji breakdown: 貧 (hin) — poor, lacking; 弱 (jaku) — weak, frail
• Pronunciation: /çiɴ.dʑa.kɯ/

Meaning

Poor; meagre; frail; weak and lacking substance or strength.

A na-adjective describing something that is lacking in quality, strength, or robustness. Can refer to physical weakness (a frail body), inadequate resources (meagre equipment), or unconvincing arguments. Takes な before nouns (貧弱な体) and だ/です as a predicate. Often carries a critical or negative nuance.

Examples

1. 予算が貧弱で十分な設備が揃えられない。 The budget is so meager that we can't get adequate equipment.
2. 彼は体が貧弱だったが、毎日鍛えて強くなった。 He had a frail body, but he trained every day and got strong.
3. 貧弱な根拠では誰も説得できないだろう。 No one will be convinced with such weak evidence.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, evaluation, description, health

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 貧 (hin, poor/lacking) + 弱 (jaku, weak). Literally 'poor and weak,' combining the ideas of deficiency and frailty.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal