Definition
贫乏 (pín fá) describes a severe lack or deficiency, often in abstract things like resources, imagination, or content. It is more formal and literary than 穷 (qióng), the everyday word for financial poverty. Unlike 不足 (bù zú) 'insufficient' or 有限 (yǒu xiàn) 'limited', 贫乏 implies a more serious impoverishment.
adjective
impoverishedlackingdeficientlimited
Examples
- 贫乏。Zhège dìqū de zìrán zīyuán fēicháng pín fá.This region's natural resources are very impoverished.
- 贫乏，。Tā de xiǎngxiànglì pín fá, xiě bù chū hǎo gùshì.His imagination is lacking; he can't write good stories.
- 贫乏，。Zhè běn shū nèiróng pín fá, bù zhídé mǎi.This book's content is deficient; it's not worth buying.
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