The Meaning of hinjaku [貧弱] In Japanese

貧弱
ひんじゃく
Romaji: hinjaku N3

What does 貧弱 mean?

Translation and Meaning

poor, weak, flimsy

Definition

貧弱 means lacking strength, adequacy, or quality; it describes something or someone as feeble, underpowered, or not up to standard when compared to expectations.

Type

adjective (na-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Indicates insufficient power or robustness in a person or device
  • Used to describe subpar performance, materials, or design
  • Often seen in formal criticism or technical writing to imply vulnerability or fragility

Composition

  • 貧: poverty, lack; signals scarcity
  • 弱: weakness, lack of strength
  • Combining them yields the sense of weak due to lack of resources or strength

Usage

Used in formal and semi formal contexts to describe weak quality or performance of a person, device, or plan; commonly appears in product reviews, technical reports, and academic writing; often followed by 貧弱な before a noun to modify it, such as 貧弱な設計.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a thin wallet (貧) and a weak posture (弱) together producing a weak overall state, reinforcing the meaning of the word.

Variations

  • 乏しい (とぼしい, toboshii) — scarce, meager
  • 薄弱 (はくじゃく, hakujaku) — weak, frail
  • 脆弱 (ぜいじゃく, zeijaku) — fragile, brittle
  • 頑丈 (がんじょう, ganjou) — robust

Words with the same Kanji

Words with the same Meaning

Example Phrases

  • この 貧弱な 回線 が 会議 中 に 切れる。
    Kono hinjaku na kaisen ga kaigi chuu ni kireru.
    This weak connection cuts out during the meeting.
    Lista:
    • この (kono) – this
    • 貧弱な (hinjaku na) – weak/poor
    • 回線 (kaisen) – connection
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 会議 (kaigi) – meeting
    • 中 (chuu) – middle
    • に (ni) – to/at
    • 切れる (kireru) – to disconnect
    貧弱 is a na-adjective; here it appears as 「貧弱な」回線, meaning a weak/poor connection.
貧弱