Kanji: 乏 (Scarce/Meager)
The kanji 乏 means "scarce," "meager," "lacking," or "poor." It describes a state of insufficiency or deficiency in quantity, quality, or resources.
Key Reading:
Kun-yomi (Japanese reading): とぼ（しい）(toboshii)
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): ボウ (bō)
Common Words & Usage:
乏しい (toboshii) - I-adjective. Meager, scarce, lacking.
貧乏 (binbō) - Na-adjective/Noun. Poor, poverty.
欠乏 (ketsubō) - Noun/Suru-verb. Shortage, deficiency.
乏血 (boketsu) - Noun. Anemia.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: この地域は水資源が乏しい。
Romaji: Kono chiiki wa mizu shigen ga toboshii.
English: This region is scarce in water resources.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 乏 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.