This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

Readings

Kana: ボウ、とぼ.しい、とも.しい
Romaji: bou, tobo.shii, tomo.shii
Kana
Romaji

Meanings

destitution, scarce, limited

Stroke Diagram

1234

Kanji Info

Stroke Count:  3
Radical Number:  4
Frequency:  1646
Grade:  8
Skip Pattern:  2-1-3
Korean Reading:  pib
Chinese Reading:  fa2
Unicode:  4e4f
JIS:  4B33

Indexes

Halpern Index: 1933
Nelson Index: 150
New Nelson Index: 46
Spahn Hadamitzky Index: 0a3.11
Four Corner Index: 2030.7
Guide to Remembering Index: 1805
Gakken Index: 1587
Daikanwanjiten Index: 133
Daikanwanjiten Index and Page: 1.0347
Remembering the kanji Index: 1215
Kanji Flashcards Index: 1029
Kodansha Compact Index: 23
Kanji in Context Index: 860
1999 Kanji Learners Index: 1228
2013 Kanji Learners Index: 1693
French Remembering the Kanji Index: 1223
Remembering the Kanji 6th Index: 1300
Essential Kanji Index: 932
Kodansha Kanji Index: 2432
Roo 2001 Kanji Index: 2070
Tuttle Kanji Cards Index: 1017

Words

乏しい (とぼしい、ともしい)
meagre; meager; scarce; limited; destitute; hard up; lacking; scanty; poor
欠乏 (けつぼう)
want; shortage; famine
窮乏 (きゅうぼう)
poverty; destitution; privation; indigence; penury
貧乏人 (びんぼうにん)
poor person; pauper; the poor; the indigent
貧乏くじ (びんぼうくじ)
short end of the stick; short straw; unlucky number; blank; bad bargain
貧乏 (びんぼう)
poverty; destitute; poor
貧乏神 (びんぼうがみ)
god of poverty
欠乏症 (けつぼうしょう)
deficiency disease (e.g. protein, vitamin, etc.)
貧乏性 (びんぼうしょう)
destined to poverty; parsimonious spirit; tendency to be frugal; poor person's mentality (e.g. inability to relax)
貧乏暮らし (びんぼうぐらし)
needy circumstances; living in poverty
Find More