Poor in Different Languages
Discover 'Poor' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Poor
Afrikaans arm | ||
Albanian i varfer | ||
Amharic ድሆች | ||
Arabic فقير | ||
Armenian աղքատ | ||
Assamese দুখীয়া | ||
Aymara pisin jakiri | ||
Azerbaijani kasıb | ||
Bambara faantan | ||
Basque eskasa | ||
Belarusian бедны | ||
Bengali দরিদ্র | ||
Bhojpuri गरीब | ||
Bosnian siromašna | ||
Bulgarian беден | ||
Catalan pobre | ||
Cebuano pobre | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 较差的 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 較差的 | ||
Corsican povera | ||
Croatian siromašna | ||
Czech chudý | ||
Danish fattige | ||
Dhivehi ފަޤީރު | ||
Dogri गरीब | ||
Dutch arm | ||
English poor | ||
Esperanto malriĉa | ||
Estonian vaene | ||
Ewe da ahe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) mahirap | ||
Finnish huono | ||
French pauvre | ||
Frisian earm | ||
Galician pobre | ||
Georgian ღარიბი | ||
German arm | ||
Greek φτωχός | ||
Guarani mboriahu | ||
Gujarati ગરીબ | ||
Haitian Creole pòv | ||
Hausa talakawa | ||
Hawaiian ʻilihune | ||
Hebrew עני | ||
Hindi गरीब | ||
Hmong neeg pluag | ||
Hungarian szegény | ||
Icelandic léleg | ||
Igbo ogbenye | ||
Ilocano napanglaw | ||
Indonesian miskin | ||
Irish bocht | ||
Italian povero | ||
Japanese 貧しい | ||
Javanese mlarat | ||
Kannada ಬಡವರು | ||
Kazakh кедей | ||
Khmer ក្រីក្រ | ||
Kinyarwanda abakene | ||
Konkani गरीब | ||
Korean 가난한 | ||
Krio pɔ | ||
Kurdish belengaz | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) هەژار | ||
Kyrgyz кедей | ||
Lao ທຸກຍາກ | ||
Latin pauper | ||
Latvian nabadzīgs | ||
Lingala mobola | ||
Lithuanian vargšas | ||
Luganda -aavu | ||
Luxembourgish aarm | ||
Macedonian сиромашен | ||
Maithili गरीब | ||
Malagasy mahantra | ||
Malay miskin | ||
Malayalam ദരിദ്രർ | ||
Maltese fqir | ||
Maori rawakore | ||
Marathi गरीब | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯂꯥꯏꯔꯕ | ||
Mizo rethei | ||
Mongolian ядуу | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဆင်းရဲတယ် | ||
Nepali गरीब | ||
Norwegian dårlig | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) osauka | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଗରିବ | ||
Oromo hiyyeessa | ||
Pashto غریب | ||
Persian فقیر | ||
Polish ubogi | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) pobre | ||
Punjabi ਗਰੀਬ | ||
Quechua wakcha | ||
Romanian sărac | ||
Russian бедных | ||
Samoan mativa | ||
Sanskrit निर्धनः | ||
Scots Gaelic bochd | ||
Sepedi diila | ||
Serbian сиромашни | ||
Sesotho mofutsana | ||
Shona murombo | ||
Sindhi غريب | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) දුප්පත් | ||
Slovak chudobný | ||
Slovenian ubogi | ||
Somali faqiir | ||
Spanish pobre | ||
Sundanese malarat | ||
Swahili maskini | ||
Swedish fattig | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) mahirap | ||
Tajik камбизоат | ||
Tamil ஏழை | ||
Tatar ярлы | ||
Telugu పేద | ||
Thai น่าสงสาร | ||
Tigrinya ድኻ | ||
Tsonga vusweti | ||
Turkish yoksul | ||
Turkmen garyp | ||
Twi (Akan) hia | ||
Ukrainian бідний | ||
Urdu غریب | ||
Uyghur نامرات | ||
Uzbek kambag'al | ||
Vietnamese nghèo | ||
Welsh druan | ||
Xhosa ihlwempu | ||
Yiddish נעבעך | ||
Yoruba talaka | ||
Zulu mpofu |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In Afrikaans, the word "arm" can also refer to the physical extremity or a unit of length. |
| Albanian | The word "i varfer" in Albanian can also mean "weak" or "unfortunate". |
| Amharic | In Amharic, ድሆች or 'd'ho'ch' also refers to people who have been excluded from society. |
| Arabic | In Persian, "فقير" (faqīr) refers to a Sufi mystic while in Turkish, it can mean "witty" or "humorous." |
| Armenian | "աղքատ" in Armenian derives from the Persian word "ghataq," meaning "miserable" or "wretched." |
| Azerbaijani | The word |
| Basque | The Basque word "eskasa" also means "lacking," "insufficient," or "deficient." |
| Belarusian | The term "бедны" in Belarusian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *będъ, meaning "poor" or "miserable". |
| Bengali | দরিদ্র originates from Sanskrit 'daridrā', referring to a beggar's staff, which symbolises poverty. |
| Bosnian | The word 'siromašna' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word '*siro' and originally meant 'orphan' or 'needy'. |
| Bulgarian | The word "беден" in Bulgarian also means "unfortunate" and "weak". |
| Catalan | In Catalan, "pobre" has a broader meaning than "poor", also referring to "miserable" or "unfortunate". |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, "pobre" can also mean "humble" or "modest". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The Chinese word "较差的" can also mean "comparatively bad" or "relatively worse". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The traditional Chinese word 較差的 is more ambiguous than English "poor" and can describe something weak or inferior; lacking in quality. |
| Corsican | In addition to meaning "poor," povera in Corsican dialect can also signify "a woman in her twenties" |
| Croatian | The etymology of 'siromašna' ('poor') is 'sir' ('cheese'), meaning originally 'lacking cheese'. |
| Czech | The word "chudý" also means "thin" in Czech. |
| Danish | The word "fattige" originates from the Old Norse word "fátækr" meaning "needy" or "poor in spirit." |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "arm" (poor) is derived from the Old English word "earm" (miserable, wretched) |
| Esperanto | The word "malriĉa" is derived from "mal-" (bad) and "riĉa" (wealthy), which conveys the sense of a lack of wealth rather than just poverty. |
| Estonian | The word "vaene" derives from the Proto-Uralic root *waɣe-, meaning "lacking, poor." |
| Finnish | The word "huono" can also mean "bad" or "low quality" in Finnish. |
| French | The French word "pauvre" originally meant "afraid" and still carries that connotation in some contexts. |
| Frisian | The Frisian word "earm" is cognate with the English "arm", and originally meant "weak" or "defective". |
| Galician | The word "pobre" in Galician comes from Latin "pauper" meaning "poor", but can also mean "humble", "simple", or "small" depending on the context. |
| German | 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.” |
| Greek | Φτωχός comes from the word πτοέω (ptoeo) which means 'frighten, terrify, dismay'. |
| Gujarati | The word 'ગરીબ' also has a more metaphorical meaning, referring to someone who is unfortunate or disadvantaged. |
| Haitian Creole | The Haitian Creole word "pòv" is an alteration of the French word "pauvre" and is also related to the Spanish word "pobre". |
| Hausa | The word 'talakawa' in Hausa originated from the Arabic word 'talaka', which means 'to set free' or 'to divorce' |
| Hawaiian | 'Ili Hune means 'moving joints', referring to the trembling caused by malnutrition in those who experience severe hunger. |
| Hebrew | The word "עני" (pronounced "ani") has several meanings in Hebrew, including "poor," "humble," and "meek." |
| Hindi | The word "गरीब" (poor) is derived from the Sanskrit word "गरिमा" (weight), and originally meant "heavy" or "burdened." |
| Hmong | The word "neeg pluag" can also be used as an adverb meaning "poorly" or "inadequately" |
| Hungarian | The word "szegény" also means "narrow" or "tight" in Hungarian, indicating a lack of wealth or space. |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "léleg" (poor) derives from the Old Norse "hljóðr" (loud), which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic "*hluđaz" (loud). |
| Igbo | The word 'ogbenye' in Igbo also means 'an unfortunate person', indicating a deeper connection between poverty and misfortune. |
| Indonesian | Some scholars of Indonesian etymology associate the word with Arabic, "miskin" which means "needy" or "poor." |
| Irish | In Irish, the word "bocht" also means "soft" or "tender". |
| Italian | The Italian word "povero" can also mean "unlucky" or "wretched" |
| Japanese | 貧しい (binbōshii) is also used as a term of endearment, particularly towards children and pets. |
| Javanese | The word "mlarat" in Javanese also means "to be at a disadvantage" or "to be unlucky." |
| Kannada | The word "ಬಡವರು" (poor) in Kannada comes from the Dravidian word "ಪಡು" (to fall), implying a state of fallenness or helplessness. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "кедей" also refers to the legendary Kazakh hero who gave his life to save his people. |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ក្រីក្រ" (poor) can also refer to something that is weak or feeble. |
| Korean | The Korean word '가난한' comes from the Middle Korean '가난ㅎ다', meaning 'to have insufficient resources' or 'to be unable to provide for oneself'. |
| Kurdish | The word "belengaz" is also used to refer to a type of Kurdish folk dance. |
| Kyrgyz | "кедей" (poor) in Kyrgyz is related to the Turkish word "kede" (to need). |
| Lao | The word "ທຸກຍາກ" (poor) in Lao is derived from the Pali word "dukkha", meaning "suffering" or "pain". |
| Latin | In Latin, "pauper" stems from the word "paucus," meaning "few," signifying a lack of possessions. |
| Latvian | "Nabagazds" also means a house without a man |
| Lithuanian | The Lithuanian word "vargšas" is linked to "vargas", a word for "trouble", and also "vargti", which means "to suffer" or "to toil." |
| Luxembourgish | 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." |
| Macedonian | The word "сиромашен" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *sъromъ, meaning "orphan" or "miserable". |
| Malagasy | The word "mahatra" in Malagasy can also refer to humility or lack of ostentation. |
| Malay | The word "miskin" is derived from the Arabic word "miskin" which means "weak" or "feeble". |
| Malayalam | The word "ദരിദ്രർ" (daridrar) in Malayalam stems from the Sanskrit word "daridra," which can also mean "beggar" or "needy." |
| Maltese | The word "fqir" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "faqīr" meaning "poor", and also has the additional meaning of "monk" or "dervish". |
| Maori | "Rawakore" also means "hungry" and "needy" in Maori. |
| Marathi | 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. |
| Mongolian | The word "ядуу" can also mean poor in quality. |
| Nepali | The word "गरीब" (poor) may also refer to a person suffering from a specific disease or calamity. |
| Norwegian | "Dårlig" is a cognate and false friend of English "dear". The word has retained the meaning "dear" in archaic contexts like the toponyms "Dårli" |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'osauka' can also refer to a person who is unfortunate or unlucky. |
| Pashto | The Pashto word 'غریب' can also refer to a stranger or foreigner. |
| Persian | In Persian, "فقیر" (faqir) not only means "poor" but also "mendicant" or "Sufi mystic" |
| Polish | The Polish word "ubogi" derives from the Proto-Slavic "bogъ", meaning "god, wealth", thus originally denoting someone lacking divine protection and hence fortune. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "pobre" can also mean "unfortunate" or "miserable." |
| Punjabi | The word "ਗਰੀਬ" is derived from the Persian word "gharīb" meaning "foreigner" or "stranger". |
| Romanian | The word 'sărac' is derived from the Latin word 'saracu', meaning 'to beg' |
| Russian | The Russian word "бедных" can also be used to refer to people with low social status, or those who are disadvantaged or marginalized. |
| Samoan | The word "mativa" can also mean "unfortunate" or "unlucky" in Samoan. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "bochd" in Scots Gaelic also has meanings of "wretched" and "miserable". |
| Serbian | The word "сиромашни" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "siro", meaning "orphan". |
| Sesotho | In Sesotho, "mofutsana" can also mean "a small village" or "a person who is not wealthy but is not destitute either." |
| Shona | The word "murombo" in Shona derives from the verb "kurova", meaning to beg or plead. |
| Sindhi | The etymology of the Sindhi word "غريب" is traced back to the Persian word meaning "new" or "fresh". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "දුප්පත්" also means "low" or "inferior" and is related to the Sanskrit word "durbala" which means "weak". |
| Slovak | "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 | 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. |
| Somali | In the original Somali language, the term « Faqiir » also refers to a religious or spiritual expert. |
| Spanish | In Spanish, the word "pobre" also has a colloquial meaning of "cute" or "adorable". |
| Sundanese | The word "malarat" in Sundanese can also mean "unfortunate" or "deprived." |
| Swahili | Swahili 'maskini' likely derives from Arabic 'miskin', a term for a poor or humble person. |
| Swedish | The word "fattig" is possibly derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*fatôgaz", meaning "beggar" or "poor person". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | 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. |
| Tajik | The Russian word "камбизоат" ("poor") can also refer to a person with a low social status. |
| Tamil | The word "ஏழை" (ēḻai) is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*ēṯ- " meaning "to beg" or "to be needy". |
| Telugu | The word "పేద" (pronounced "payda") can also mean "wretched" or "miserable" in Telugu. |
| Thai | The term "น่าสงสาร" can also mean "pitiable" or "pathetic" in Thai. |
| Turkish | The word “yoksul” can also mean “orphan” in Turkish, reflecting the historical association between poverty and lack of familial support. |
| Ukrainian | Ukrainian 'бідний' derives from Proto-Slavic 'bydьnь', which meant 'alone' or 'solitary' as opposed to 'rich' which connoted 'abundant' or 'fertile' land. |
| Urdu | In addition to its primary meaning of "poor," "غریب" can also mean "stranger" or "foreigner" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | The word "kambag'al" in Uzbek is derived from the Persian word "kambiz", meaning "needy" or "poor." |
| Vietnamese | The word "nghèo" in Vietnamese derives from the Sino-Vietnamese word "nghèo" which initially described the sound of raindrops hitting water. |
| Welsh | Druan can also mean 'pitiable' or 'wretched' |
| Xhosa | 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 | The word "nebbish" derives from the Yiddish word "nebekh," which conveys a sense of pity rather than destitution. |
| Yoruba | The word "talaka" can also mean "beggar" or "needy person" in Yoruba. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, "mpofu" means "one who is lacking," but can also refer to a young woman who is not yet married. |
| English | The word "poor" originates from the Latin "pauper", meaning "beggar" or "needy person." |