Poor in Different Languages
Discover 'Poor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'poor' carries a profound significance, as it refers to those who lack the necessary resources to live a comfortable life. This term extends beyond mere finances, encompassing a range of societal and cultural contexts. Throughout history, the poor have been variously perceived as victims of circumstance, agents of change, or even as a necessary evil. The concept of poverty has fueled revolutions, inspired philanthropy, and challenged the conscience of societies worldwide.
Given its far-reaching implications, understanding the word 'poor' in different languages can be a fascinating exploration of cultural nuances and societal attitudes. For instance, the Spanish equivalent, 'pobre', also denotes a sense of humility or modesty, while the German 'arm' carries a connotation of powerlessness. Meanwhile, the Chinese character for poor, '穷' (qióng), is composed of two parts: ' Rice' and 'Stalk', symbolizing the struggle for survival.
Join us as we delve into the translations of 'poor' in various languages, offering a glimpse into the diverse ways poverty is perceived and addressed across the globe.
Poor
Poor in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | arm | ||
| In Afrikaans, the word "arm" can also refer to the physical extremity or a unit of length. | |||
| Amharic | ድሆች | ||
| In Amharic, ድሆች or 'd'ho'ch' also refers to people who have been excluded from society. | |||
| Hausa | talakawa | ||
| The word 'talakawa' in Hausa originated from the Arabic word 'talaka', which means 'to set free' or 'to divorce' | |||
| Igbo | ogbenye | ||
| The word 'ogbenye' in Igbo also means 'an unfortunate person', indicating a deeper connection between poverty and misfortune. | |||
| Malagasy | mahantra | ||
| The word "mahatra" in Malagasy can also refer to humility or lack of ostentation. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | osauka | ||
| The word 'osauka' can also refer to a person who is unfortunate or unlucky. | |||
| Shona | murombo | ||
| The word "murombo" in Shona derives from the verb "kurova", meaning to beg or plead. | |||
| Somali | faqiir | ||
| In the original Somali language, the term « Faqiir » also refers to a religious or spiritual expert. | |||
| Sesotho | mofutsana | ||
| In Sesotho, "mofutsana" can also mean "a small village" or "a person who is not wealthy but is not destitute either." | |||
| Swahili | maskini | ||
| Swahili 'maskini' likely derives from Arabic 'miskin', a term for a poor or humble person. | |||
| Xhosa | ihlwempu | ||
| The word “ihlwempu” is a diminutive form of “umhlwempu”, the original word used to describe a person who is poor, especially an elderly person. | |||
| Yoruba | talaka | ||
| The word "talaka" can also mean "beggar" or "needy person" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | mpofu | ||
| In Zulu, "mpofu" means "one who is lacking," but can also refer to a young woman who is not yet married. | |||
| Bambara | faantan | ||
| Ewe | da ahe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | abakene | ||
| Lingala | mobola | ||
| Luganda | -aavu | ||
| Sepedi | diila | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hia | ||
Poor in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | فقير | ||
| In Persian, "فقير" (faqīr) refers to a Sufi mystic while in Turkish, it can mean "witty" or "humorous." | |||
| Hebrew | עני | ||
| The word "עני" (pronounced "ani") has several meanings in Hebrew, including "poor," "humble," and "meek." | |||
| Pashto | غریب | ||
| The Pashto word 'غریب' can also refer to a stranger or foreigner. | |||
| Arabic | فقير | ||
| In Persian, "فقير" (faqīr) refers to a Sufi mystic while in Turkish, it can mean "witty" or "humorous." | |||
Poor in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i varfer | ||
| The word "i varfer" in Albanian can also mean "weak" or "unfortunate". | |||
| Basque | eskasa | ||
| The Basque word "eskasa" also means "lacking," "insufficient," or "deficient." | |||
| Catalan | pobre | ||
| In Catalan, "pobre" has a broader meaning than "poor", also referring to "miserable" or "unfortunate". | |||
| Croatian | siromašna | ||
| The etymology of 'siromašna' ('poor') is 'sir' ('cheese'), meaning originally 'lacking cheese'. | |||
| Danish | fattige | ||
| The word "fattige" originates from the Old Norse word "fátækr" meaning "needy" or "poor in spirit." | |||
| Dutch | arm | ||
| The Dutch word "arm" (poor) is derived from the Old English word "earm" (miserable, wretched) | |||
| English | poor | ||
| The word "poor" originates from the Latin "pauper", meaning "beggar" or "needy person." | |||
| French | pauvre | ||
| The French word "pauvre" originally meant "afraid" and still carries that connotation in some contexts. | |||
| Frisian | earm | ||
| The Frisian word "earm" is cognate with the English "arm", and originally meant "weak" or "defective". | |||
| Galician | pobre | ||
| The word "pobre" in Galician comes from Latin "pauper" meaning "poor", but can also mean "humble", "simple", or "small" depending on the context. | |||
| German | arm | ||
| The etymology of "arm" is disputed, with one possibility deriving it from the Old High German word "aram" meaning "wretched" while another suggests Indo-European roots meaning “affliction.” | |||
| Icelandic | léleg | ||
| The Icelandic word "léleg" (poor) derives from the Old Norse "hljóðr" (loud), which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic "*hluđaz" (loud). | |||
| Irish | bocht | ||
| In Irish, the word "bocht" also means "soft" or "tender". | |||
| Italian | povero | ||
| The Italian word "povero" can also mean "unlucky" or "wretched" | |||
| Luxembourgish | aarm | ||
| The word "aarm" can also refer to a feeling of misery or wretchedness, like in the expression "Ech sinn aarm dran", meaning "I'm miserable about it." | |||
| Maltese | fqir | ||
| The word "fqir" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "faqīr" meaning "poor", and also has the additional meaning of "monk" or "dervish". | |||
| Norwegian | dårlig | ||
| "Dårlig" is a cognate and false friend of English "dear". The word has retained the meaning "dear" in archaic contexts like the toponyms "Dårli" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pobre | ||
| In Portuguese, "pobre" can also mean "unfortunate" or "miserable." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bochd | ||
| The word "bochd" in Scots Gaelic also has meanings of "wretched" and "miserable". | |||
| Spanish | pobre | ||
| In Spanish, the word "pobre" also has a colloquial meaning of "cute" or "adorable". | |||
| Swedish | fattig | ||
| The word "fattig" is possibly derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*fatôgaz", meaning "beggar" or "poor person". | |||
| Welsh | druan | ||
| Druan can also mean 'pitiable' or 'wretched' | |||
Poor in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бедны | ||
| The term "бедны" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *będъ, meaning "poor" or "miserable". | |||
| Bosnian | siromašna | ||
| The word 'siromašna' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*siro' and originally meant 'orphan' or 'needy'. | |||
| Bulgarian | беден | ||
| The word "беден" in Bulgarian also means "unfortunate" and "weak". | |||
| Czech | chudý | ||
| The word "chudý" also means "thin" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | vaene | ||
| The word "vaene" derives from the Proto-Uralic root *waɣe-, meaning "lacking, poor." | |||
| Finnish | huono | ||
| The word "huono" can also mean "bad" or "low quality" in Finnish. | |||
| Hungarian | szegény | ||
| The word "szegény" also means "narrow" or "tight" in Hungarian, indicating a lack of wealth or space. | |||
| Latvian | nabadzīgs | ||
| "Nabagazds" also means a house without a man | |||
| Lithuanian | vargšas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "vargšas" is linked to "vargas", a word for "trouble", and also "vargti", which means "to suffer" or "to toil." | |||
| Macedonian | сиромашен | ||
| The word "сиромашен" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sъromъ, meaning "orphan" or "miserable". | |||
| Polish | ubogi | ||
| The Polish word "ubogi" derives from the Proto-Slavic "bogъ", meaning "god, wealth", thus originally denoting someone lacking divine protection and hence fortune. | |||
| Romanian | sărac | ||
| The word 'sărac' is derived from the Latin word 'saracu', meaning 'to beg' | |||
| Russian | бедных | ||
| The Russian word "бедных" can also be used to refer to people with low social status, or those who are disadvantaged or marginalized. | |||
| Serbian | сиромашни | ||
| The word "сиромашни" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "siro", meaning "orphan". | |||
| Slovak | chudobný | ||
| "Chudobný" in Slovak derives from the Proto-Slavic "xudь" (hunger), while the word for "poor" in Czech, Polish, etc., comes from a distinct root meaning "humble" | |||
| Slovenian | ubogi | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, "ubogi" meant "poor" but also "deserving of pity", which is closer to its meaning in Slovenian and reflects social values of the past. | |||
| Ukrainian | бідний | ||
| Ukrainian 'бідний' derives from Proto-Slavic 'bydьnь', which meant 'alone' or 'solitary' as opposed to 'rich' which connoted 'abundant' or 'fertile' land. | |||
Poor in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দরিদ্র | ||
| দরিদ্র originates from Sanskrit 'daridrā', referring to a beggar's staff, which symbolises poverty. | |||
| Gujarati | ગરીબ | ||
| The word 'ગરીબ' also has a more metaphorical meaning, referring to someone who is unfortunate or disadvantaged. | |||
| Hindi | गरीब | ||
| The word "गरीब" (poor) is derived from the Sanskrit word "गरिमा" (weight), and originally meant "heavy" or "burdened." | |||
| Kannada | ಬಡವರು | ||
| The word "ಬಡವರು" (poor) in Kannada comes from the Dravidian word "ಪಡು" (to fall), implying a state of fallenness or helplessness. | |||
| Malayalam | ദരിദ്രർ | ||
| The word "ദരിദ്രർ" (daridrar) in Malayalam stems from the Sanskrit word "daridra," which can also mean "beggar" or "needy." | |||
| Marathi | गरीब | ||
| The Marathi word " गरीब" traces its roots to the Sanskrit word "गुरू" (teacher) and initially referred to someone who was financially dependent, rather than someone who was impoverished. | |||
| Nepali | गरीब | ||
| The word "गरीब" (poor) may also refer to a person suffering from a specific disease or calamity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਰੀਬ | ||
| The word "ਗਰੀਬ" is derived from the Persian word "gharīb" meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දුප්පත් | ||
| "දුප්පත්" also means "low" or "inferior" and is related to the Sanskrit word "durbala" which means "weak". | |||
| Tamil | ஏழை | ||
| The word "ஏழை" (ēḻai) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*ēṯ- " meaning "to beg" or "to be needy". | |||
| Telugu | పేద | ||
| The word "పేద" (pronounced "payda") can also mean "wretched" or "miserable" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | غریب | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of "poor," "غریب" can also mean "stranger" or "foreigner" in Urdu. | |||
Poor in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 较差的 | ||
| The Chinese word "较差的" can also mean "comparatively bad" or "relatively worse". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 較差的 | ||
| The traditional Chinese word 較差的 is more ambiguous than English "poor" and can describe something weak or inferior; lacking in quality. | |||
| Japanese | 貧しい | ||
| 貧しい (binbōshii) is also used as a term of endearment, particularly towards children and pets. | |||
| Korean | 가난한 | ||
| The Korean word '가난한' comes from the Middle Korean '가난ㅎ다', meaning 'to have insufficient resources' or 'to be unable to provide for oneself'. | |||
| Mongolian | ядуу | ||
| The word "ядуу" can also mean poor in quality. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆင်းရဲတယ် | ||
Poor in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | miskin | ||
| Some scholars of Indonesian etymology associate the word with Arabic, "miskin" which means "needy" or "poor." | |||
| Javanese | mlarat | ||
| The word "mlarat" in Javanese also means "to be at a disadvantage" or "to be unlucky." | |||
| Khmer | ក្រីក្រ | ||
| The Khmer word "ក្រីក្រ" (poor) can also refer to something that is weak or feeble. | |||
| Lao | ທຸກຍາກ | ||
| The word "ທຸກຍາກ" (poor) in Lao is derived from the Pali word "dukkha", meaning "suffering" or "pain". | |||
| Malay | miskin | ||
| The word "miskin" is derived from the Arabic word "miskin" which means "weak" or "feeble". | |||
| Thai | น่าสงสาร | ||
| The term "น่าสงสาร" can also mean "pitiable" or "pathetic" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | nghèo | ||
| The word "nghèo" in Vietnamese derives from the Sino-Vietnamese word "nghèo" which initially described the sound of raindrops hitting water. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahirap | ||
Poor in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | kasıb | ||
| The word | |||
| Kazakh | кедей | ||
| The Kazakh word "кедей" also refers to the legendary Kazakh hero who gave his life to save his people. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кедей | ||
| "кедей" (poor) in Kyrgyz is related to the Turkish word "kede" (to need). | |||
| Tajik | камбизоат | ||
| The Russian word "камбизоат" ("poor") can also refer to a person with a low social status. | |||
| Turkmen | garyp | ||
| Uzbek | kambag'al | ||
| The word "kambag'al" in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word "kambiz", meaning "needy" or "poor." | |||
| Uyghur | نامرات | ||
Poor in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻilihune | ||
| 'Ili Hune means 'moving joints', referring to the trembling caused by malnutrition in those who experience severe hunger. | |||
| Maori | rawakore | ||
| "Rawakore" also means "hungry" and "needy" in Maori. | |||
| Samoan | mativa | ||
| The word "mativa" can also mean "unfortunate" or "unlucky" in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahirap | ||
| The word "mahirap" can also mean "difficult" or "hard to do" in Tagalog, implying that poverty is not just a lack of resources but also a struggle. | |||
Poor in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pisin jakiri | ||
| Guarani | mboriahu | ||
Poor in International Languages
| Esperanto | malriĉa | ||
| The word "malriĉa" is derived from "mal-" (bad) and "riĉa" (wealthy), which conveys the sense of a lack of wealth rather than just poverty. | |||
| Latin | pauper | ||
| In Latin, "pauper" stems from the word "paucus," meaning "few," signifying a lack of possessions. | |||
Poor in Others Languages
| Greek | φτωχός | ||
| Φτωχός comes from the word πτοέω (ptoeo) which means 'frighten, terrify, dismay'. | |||
| Hmong | neeg pluag | ||
| The word "neeg pluag" can also be used as an adverb meaning "poorly" or "inadequately" | |||
| Kurdish | belengaz | ||
| The word "belengaz" is also used to refer to a type of Kurdish folk dance. | |||
| Turkish | yoksul | ||
| The word “yoksul” can also mean “orphan” in Turkish, reflecting the historical association between poverty and lack of familial support. | |||
| Xhosa | ihlwempu | ||
| The word “ihlwempu” is a diminutive form of “umhlwempu”, the original word used to describe a person who is poor, especially an elderly person. | |||
| Yiddish | נעבעך | ||
| The word "nebbish" derives from the Yiddish word "nebekh," which conveys a sense of pity rather than destitution. | |||
| Zulu | mpofu | ||
| In Zulu, "mpofu" means "one who is lacking," but can also refer to a young woman who is not yet married. | |||
| Assamese | দুখীয়া | ||
| Aymara | pisin jakiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | गरीब | ||
| Dhivehi | ފަޤީރު | ||
| Dogri | गरीब | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahirap | ||
| Guarani | mboriahu | ||
| Ilocano | napanglaw | ||
| Krio | pɔ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەژار | ||
| Maithili | गरीब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯕ | ||
| Mizo | rethei | ||
| Oromo | hiyyeessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗରିବ | ||
| Quechua | wakcha | ||
| Sanskrit | निर्धनः | ||
| Tatar | ярлы | ||
| Tigrinya | ድኻ | ||
| Tsonga | vusweti | ||