貧弱
ひんじゃく · hinjaku · JLPT N1 · na-adj
poor
🪙 貧 = poverty + 弱 = weak: poor and weak, so meager and insubstantial
貧 (hin) means poverty or lack; 弱 (jaku) means weak. Together they describe something scant in quantity or strength, like a flimsy argument with little substance behind it.
弱 — two 弓 (bows) + two 彡 (feathers/strokes)
Originally depicted two bent bows with drooping feathers or fine hairs, suggesting something pliant and weak. The doubled 弓 emphasizes flexibility, while 彡 evokes delicate, thin strands. The image of a soft, bending bow extended to mean 'weak,' 'frail,' or 'young.'