Mazushii is the Japanese word for ‘poor’, explained

What does “mazushii” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “mazushii” to mean ‘poor’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners use “mazushii” more properly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “mazushii”
  • Example #1: how to say “poor” in Japanese
• Mazushikunai: the nai form of “mazushii”
  • Example #2: how to say “not poor” in Japanese
• Mazushikatta: the ta form of “mazushii”
  • Example #3: how to say “were poor” in Japanese
• Mazushikute: the te form of “mazushii”
  • Example #4: how to say “poor and” in Japanese
• Mazushikereba: the ba form of “mazushii”
  • Example #5: how to say “if poor” in Japanese
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “mazushii”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “mazushii”.

• mazushii – 貧しい (まずしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘poor’ in Japanese.

Japanese native speakers often use this i-adjective to describe someone who has very little money.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this i-adjective through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “poor” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• totemo – とても : an adverb of degree meaning ‘very’, ‘much’, ‘so’, or such in Japanese. In the example, this works in front of “mazushii” to emphasize its meaning.

This is a typical usage of “mazushii”. In this example, it works as the complement in the sentence. Like other adjectives, however, it can also work as a modifier in front of a noun. It’s worth knowing, I think.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “mazushii” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “mazushikunai”.

Mazushikunai: the nai form of “mazushii”

Below are the definition and meaning of “mazushikunai”.

• mazushikunai – 貧しくない (まずしくない) : the nai form of “mazushii”, which means ‘not poor’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “mazushikunai” consists of the following two parts:

• mazushiku – 貧しく (まずしく) : one conjugation of “mazushii”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”.

From these two parts, we can understand that “mazushikunai” is literally the nai form of “mazushii” and means ‘not poor’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “not poor” in Japanese

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese. In the example, this works together with “tachi” to say “they” in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “mazushikunai”. When we want to mean ‘not poor’ in Japanese, this nai form is a good option.

Mazushikatta: the ta form of “mazushii”

Below are the definition and meanings of “mazushikatta”.

• mazushikatta – 貧しかった (まずしかった) : the ta form of “mazushii”, which means ‘was poor’, ‘were poor’, or such in Japanese.

Grammatically, “mazushikatta” consists of the following two parts:

• mazushikat – 貧しかっ (まずしかっ) : one conjugation of “mazushii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “mazushikatta” is literally the ta form of “mazushii” and means ‘was poor’, ‘were poor’, or such in Japanese. Let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to say “were poor” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• ore – 俺 (おれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ rudely in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “ore” to make its possessive case, “ore no”, which means ‘my’ in Japanese.
• ryoushin – 両親 (りょうしん) : a noun meaning ‘parents’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “mazushikatta”. When we want to use the past tense form of “mazushii”, this ta form is the best option.

Mazushikute: the te form of “mazushii”

Below are the definition and meaning of “mazushikute”.

• mazushikute – 貧しくて (まずしくて) : the te form of “mazushii”, which means ‘poor’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “mazushikute” consists of the following two parts:

• mazushiku – 貧しく (まずしく) : one conjugation of “mazushii”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “mazushikute” is literally the te form of “mazushii”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “mazushikute” is very useful when we want to use “mazushii” in front of another adjective, a verb, or an auxiliary verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to say “poor and” in Japanese

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• tsurai – つらい : an i-adjective meaning ‘miserable’, ‘depressed’, or such in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “mazushikute”. In the example, it has the smooth connection with “tsurai”. When we want to use “mazushii” in front of another adjective like this, its te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.

Mazushikereba: the ba form of “mazushii”

Lastly, let me explain the definition and meaning of “mazushikereba”.

• mazushikereba – 貧しければ (まずしければ) : the ba form of “mazushii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘poor’ in Japanese.

Grammatically, “mazushikereba” consists of the following two parts:

• mazushikere – 貧しけれ (まずしけれ) : one conjugation of “mazushii”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.

From these two parts, we can understand that “mazushikereba” is literally the ba form of “mazushii”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “mazushikereba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘poor’. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to say “if poor” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kuruma – 車 (くるま) : a noun meaning ‘car’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kuruma” to make the object in the second clause.
• kae – 買え (かえ) : one conjugation of the potential verb, “kaeru”, which means ‘can buy’ or ‘to be able to buy’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : the same as used in “mazushikunai”. In this example, this is used after “kae” to deny its meaning.

This is a typical usage of “mazushikereba”. In this example, it makes the conditional clause which means ‘if you are poor’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘poor’, this ba form is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “mazushii” together with its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• mazushii – 貧しい (まずしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘poor’ in Japanese. This can work as both a modifier and a complement.
• mazushikunai – 貧しくない (まずしくない) : the nai form of “mazushii”, which means ‘not poor’ in Japanese.
• mazushikatta – 貧しかった (まずしかった) : the ta form of “mazushii”, which means ‘was poor’, ‘were poor’, or such in Japanese.
• mazushikute – 貧しくて (まずしくて) : the te form of “mazushii”, which means ‘poor’ in Japanese. When we want to use “mazushii” in front of another adjective, this te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.
• mazushikereba – 貧しければ (まずしければ) : the ba form of “mazushii”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘poor’ in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.