乏しい

• Reading: とぼしい
• Romaji: toboshii
• Kanji breakdown: 乏 (bō/tobo) — scarce, lacking, destitute
• Pronunciation: /to.bo.ɕiː/

Meaning

Scarce; lacking; meagre. Describes an insufficient amount of something.

An i-adjective meaning lacking, scarce, or insufficient. Used for both tangible and abstract things — 資源が乏しい (resources are scarce), 経験が乏しい (lacking experience), 表情が乏しい (expressionless/lacking in expression). Carries a more formal, objective tone than ない (to not have) or 少ない (few). Conjugates regularly: 乏しくない, 乏しかった. Often appears in news, academic writing, and analysis.

Examples

1. この地域は水資源が乏しい。 This region is scarce in water resources.
2. 社会経験が乏しいまま就職してしまった。 I entered the workforce without much real-world experience.
3. 証拠が乏しくて犯人を特定できなかった。 There wasn't enough evidence to identify the culprit.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, news, analysis

Tone: objective

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 乏 (bō/tobo) means 'scarce' or 'lacking,' depicting a state of deficiency. One of the fundamental adjectives for expressing insufficiency in classical and modern Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated