Translation guide
Describes something insufficient in amount, size, or quality, often disappointingly small or thin.
Expressing that an amount is too small, scarce, or barely enough.
Common adjective for scarcity or lack, often used for resources, supplies, or abstract things.
Describing a person or animal as lean, skinny, or gaunt.
Past tense of やせる (to lose weight), used as an adjective meaning 'thin' or 'skinny'.
やせた猫が道を歩いていた。
A meagre cat was walking down the street.
Describing something as poor, inadequate, or unsatisfying in content or value.
English 'meagre' covers both quantity and quality. In Japanese, choose the word that matches the specific nuance: 乏しい for scarcity, わずか for small amount, やせた for thinness, 貧弱 for poor quality. Using one word for all contexts will sound unnatural.
食料が乏しい。
Food supplies are meagre.
情報が乏しい。
Information is scarce.
Na-adjective or adverb meaning 'only a little', 'mere', emphasizing smallness of amount.
わずかな収入で暮らしている。
They live on a meagre income.
わずか3人しか来なかった。
Only a meagre three people came.
General word for 'few' or 'little', can be used for meagre amounts.
今年の収穫は少ない。
This year's harvest is meagre.
Means poor, scanty, or feeble; often implies inadequacy in quality or quantity.
貧弱な食事
a meagre meal
Means 'thin' or 'slender', can describe limbs or body shape.
彼の腕は細い。
His arms are meagre.
Emaciated, gaunt; stronger than やせた, implies unhealthy thinness.
痩せこけた犬が捨てられていた。
A meagre, emaciated dog had been abandoned.
Poor, scanty, feeble; often used for arguments, content, or equipment.
彼の説明は貧弱だった。
His explanation was meagre.
Poor, shabby, miserable; often used for quality of service, food, or performance.
お粗末な食事だった。
It was a meagre meal.