贫 (pín) is a Chinese character meaning “poor”. It is written from 分 (to divide; a share) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “poor”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
分 + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：貧，財分少也。从貝从分，分亦聲；并与 hanzi-writer-data 现代字形核验（第 1–4 笔为 分，第 5–8 笔为 贝）
Memory aid
Money (贝) that keeps getting divided (分) up — split it often enough and there is almost nothing left. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 贫穷pín qióngpoor; poverty贫 = pín
- 贫乏pín fápoor; scanty; lacking贫 = pín
Go deeper
All readings
poor
poor; impoverished; lacking; short of
缺少财物，生活困难；也指某种东西不足。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 贫穷pín qióngpoor; poverty贫 = pín
- 贫乏pín fápoor; scanty; lacking贫 = pín
Sound component
分 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 贫 mean?
贫 (pín) means poor; impoverished; lacking; short of.
How do you pronounce 贫?
It is pronounced pín.
What parts is 贫 made of?
分 (to divide; a share) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：貧，財分少也。从貝从分，分亦聲；并与 hanzi-writer-data 现代字形核验（第 1–4 笔为 分，第 5–8 笔为 贝）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 贫 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 贫?
贝. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 贫?
Common ones are 贫穷 and 贫乏. The reading of 贫 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.