pan4 kung4貧窮贫穷

Jyutpingpan4 kung4

Yalepàhn kùhng

形容詞Rare

Definition

Poor or impoverished; having little money or resources.

neutralmoneydescriptions

How it's used

Use this term primarily in formal, written, or serious contexts to describe systemic or severe economic hardship. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people prefer using 窮 or 冇錢 to describe personal financial status, as 貧窮 sounds quite academic or journalistic.

Examples

keoi5佢sai3細go3個go2嗰zan6陣uk1屋kei2企hou2好pan4貧kung4窮。

His family was very poor when he was young.

pan4貧kung4窮zan1真hai6係wui2會haan6限zai3制jan4人koi3嘅soeng2想zoeng6像lik6力me1咩？

Does poverty really limit a person's imagination?

Common phrases

pan4貧kung4窮sin3線

poverty line

baai2擺kung4窮

escape poverty

Common mistake

Do not use this to describe a person as being 'cheap' or 'stingy', which would be 孤寒. It refers strictly to a lack of financial resources, not a character flaw.