cek3 pan4赤貧赤贫
Jyutpingcek3 pan4
Yalechek pàhn
Definition
Extreme poverty; being so poor that one cannot afford the basic necessities of life.
writtenpeoplemoney
How it's used
赤貧 carries a formal and literary weight that makes it sound quite heavy or dramatic in everyday conversation. It is typically reserved for describing severe societal conditions or extreme historical circumstances rather than just being broke or short on cash. Using it to describe a friend's financial situation would sound overly academic or even insensitive.
Examples
His family was in extreme poverty when he was young, they didn't even have rice to eat.
Why is that place in such a state of extreme poverty?
Related words
Common phrases
destitute and penniless
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 窮, which is the standard, neutral way to say poor. 赤貧 implies a level of destitution where basic survival is threatened, so it should not be used to describe someone who is simply struggling to pay their bills.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
