Translation guide
Describes something insufficient in amount, size, or coverage. In Japanese, different words are used depending on what is scanty—clothing, information, resources, etc.
To say that something is not enough, lacking in quantity, or meager.
Common word for scarcity of resources, information, or abstract things. Often used in formal or written contexts.
Information is scanty.
a country with scanty resources
General word for 'few' or 'little'. Can be used for scanty amounts in everyday speech.
The evidence is scanty.
Means 'insufficient' or 'inadequate'. Suitable for formal contexts.
To describe clothing that covers very little, often in a critical or descriptive way.
Literally 'high degree of exposure'. Common phrase for revealing clothing.
She was wearing scanty clothing.
Means 'showing a lot of skin'. More direct and slightly less formal.
Literally 'fabric is little'. Used to describe minimal clothing in terms of material.
a scanty dress
To describe thin hair, sparse plants, or anything that is not dense.
The English word 'scanty' covers several distinct concepts. Do not use a single Japanese word for all cases. Choose based on context: 乏しい for resources, 露出度が高い for clothing, 薄い for hair.
That swimsuit is scanty.
scanty hair