飢き饉きん

き

ん

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

Refers to a widespread, severe shortage of food, often due to natural disaster or war.

きん

に

苦くる

しん

で

いる

。

The country has been suffering from famine due to years of civil war.

冷れい夏かで飢き饉きんが起おこった。

A cold summer caused a famine.

2

chronic shortage; dearth

Figurative extension: a severe, long-term lack of something essential, such as water, resources, or talent.

飢き饉きんが起おこるfor a famine to occur/break out
この地ち方ほうでは毎まい年ねんのように飢き饉きんが起おこった。
In this region, famines broke out almost every year.
〈事こと〉の飢き饉きんa severe shortage of (something), figuratively
この業ぎょう界かいは今いま、人じん材ざいの飢き饉きんに陥おちいっている。
This industry is currently facing a severe shortage of talent.
飢き饉きんに見み舞まわれるto be struck/hit by a famine
その国くには長なが年ねんの戦せん争そうの末すえ、飢き饉きんに見み舞まわれた。
The country was struck by famine after years of war.
飢き饉きんに苦くるしむto suffer from a famine
多おおくの村むら人びとが飢き饉きんに苦くるしんだ。
Many villagers suffered from the famine.
深しん刻こくな飢き饉きんa serious/severe famine
深しん刻こくな飢き饉きんが数すう百ひゃく万まん人にんの命いのちを奪うばった。
A severe famine claimed millions of lives.

凶きょう作さくN1sense 1
凶作 refers specifically to a poor harvest or crop failure, while 飢饉 is the resulting famine or food crisis that can follow.
食しょく糧りょう難なん sense 1
食糧難 is a more neutral term for a food shortage or crisis, whereas 飢饉 is the formal word for a severe famine and can also be used figuratively.
不ふ足そくN3sense 2
不足 is a general word for any shortage or insufficiency, while 飢饉 implies a severe, often life-threatening lack, especially of food.
欠けつ乏ぼうN1sense 2
欠乏 describes a deficiency or lack of something needed, while 飢饉 (in its figurative sense) stresses a severe, chronic shortage that feels critical.
飢うえ
飢饉 describes a large-scale famine affecting many people, whereas 飢え is the individual experience of being hungry or starving.

豊ほう作さくN1sense 1
豊作 means a bountiful harvest, the direct opposite of the crop failure that leads to 飢饉.

飢き餓がN1sense 1
飢餓 describes the physical state of starvation or hunger itself, while 飢饉 refers to the wider social/economic event of a famine that causes such starvation.

飢き饉きんUsage90%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
ききんUsage7%
饑き饉きんUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the first character is an uncommon variant.
飢ききんUsage<1%

From Chinese 飢饉 (jījǐn), meaning 'famine' or 'crop failure'. The kanji 飢 means 'hunger' and 饉 means 'dearth' or 'scarcity'.

享きょう保ほうの飢き饉きん

Kyōhō famine (1732)

Tenpō famine (1833-1836)

Tenmei famine (1782-1787)

Mixed kanji-kana spelling, sometimes used for readability.