Barren or infertile, used for both physically poor land and abstract lack of substance.
Word in 30 Seconds
- Describes soil that lacks nutrients for plants.
- Used metaphorically for lack of substance or resources.
- Commonly appears in formal or descriptive writing.
常见语境：在地理描述中，它常与‘荒原’、‘山区’、‘土壤’连用。在比喻语境下，它常用于批评某种文化创作‘内容贫瘠’，或者指代一个地区‘物质资源贫瘠’，强调发展条件的艰难。
- 1近义词辨析：‘贫瘠’与‘荒凉’虽都含荒芜之意，但‘贫瘠’侧重于‘缺乏养分/资源’，而‘荒凉’侧重于‘人烟稀少/冷清’。与‘贫困’相比，‘贫困’主要指人或社会经济状况不好，而‘贫瘠’更侧重于环境或载体本身的质量低下。
Examples
这片贫瘠的土地无法种出庄稼。
everydayThis barren land cannot grow crops.
该地区资源贫瘠，经济发展缓慢。
formalThe region is resource-poor, and its economic development is slow.
他的文学创作内容贫瘠，缺乏深度。
formalHis literary creation is lacking in substance and depth.
在那贫瘠的山区，孩子们渴望知识。
academicIn those barren mountainous areas, children are thirsty for knowledge.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
贫瘠之地
a land of barrenness
土壤贫瘠化
soil impoverishment
Often Confused With
Refers specifically to financial poverty or lack of money. It is used for people or societies, not for soil.
Refers to a lack of abstract things like experience, imagination, or vocabulary. It is not used for physical land.
Grammar Patterns
How to Use It
Usage Notes
The word is primarily formal and descriptive. It is most commonly found in geographic, agricultural, or economic contexts. Avoid using it to describe personal wealth.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use it to describe poor people, which is incorrect. It is strictly for environments or abstract contents. Always pair it with nouns like 'land' or 'soil'.
Tips
Focus on the soil context
Remember that '贫瘠' is most naturally used when talking about farming or geography. It helps paint a picture of harsh survival conditions.
Do not confuse with poverty
Avoid using '贫瘠' to describe a person's bank account. Use '贫穷' for financial poverty instead.
Cultural association with rural life
In Chinese literature, describing land as '贫瘠' often evokes themes of hardship and the struggle of rural farmers.
Word Origin
The character '贫' implies lacking wealth, and '瘠' refers to thinness or lack of fat. Together, they describe land that is 'thin' or 'lean' in nutrients.
Cultural Context
In Chinese history, many regions were historically '贫瘠', leading to migration and social struggle. This term often carries a heavy emotional weight regarding the difficulty of survival.
Memory Tip
Think of the character '瘠' as a thin person (疒) with little to eat. It represents land that has 'nothing' to give to the crops.
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questions通常不直接形容人。如果形容人，我们更多使用‘贫穷’（指经济）或‘贫乏’（指才华或知识）。
‘贫瘠’侧重于物理上的土地质量，而‘贫乏’侧重于抽象的资源、经验或词汇量的不足。
它是一个中性偏贬义的词，主要用于客观描述一种负面的、缺乏的状态。
在日常口语中较少使用，更多出现在书面语、新闻报道或文学作品中。
Test Yourself
这片土地由于长期缺乏灌溉，变得十分___。
‘贫瘠’专门用于形容土地缺乏养分，符合语境。
Score: /1
Summary
Barren or infertile, used for both physically poor land and abstract lack of substance.
- Describes soil that lacks nutrients for plants.
- Used metaphorically for lack of substance or resources.
- Commonly appears in formal or descriptive writing.
Focus on the soil context
Remember that '贫瘠' is most naturally used when talking about farming or geography. It helps paint a picture of harsh survival conditions.
Do not confuse with poverty
Avoid using '贫瘠' to describe a person's bank account. Use '贫穷' for financial poverty instead.
Cultural association with rural life
In Chinese literature, describing land as '贫瘠' often evokes themes of hardship and the struggle of rural farmers.
Examples
4 of 4这片贫瘠的土地无法种出庄稼。
This barren land cannot grow crops.
该地区资源贫瘠，经济发展缓慢。
The region is resource-poor, and its economic development is slow.
他的文学创作内容贫瘠，缺乏深度。
His literary creation is lacking in substance and depth.
在那贫瘠的山区，孩子们渴望知识。
In those barren mountainous areas, children are thirsty for knowledge.
