乏
Scarce
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| ぼう | とぼ.しい |  + ?? |
Meaning: Scarce
This is the first kanji that has a mystery (non-existent) radical. But, if you look at it, it looks like a slide, right? So, let’s go with leaf, and slide (non-existent radicals are just things we make up on the fly because they’re not common enough to be a radical but at the same time have to be something, right?). So, imagine leaves coming down a slide. You’re counting them. One… two… three… Then you notice something. The leaves are becoming a lot more scarce!
Be sure to feel worried about this. I know it doesn’t sound that bad to you right now, but your whole business relies on these leaves! If the leaves don’t keep coming down the slide, leaves will become scarce, and the whole economy will fall apart! D: It’s a strange thing to feel worried about, and an absurd thing as well, but the more absurd something is, the better you’ll remember it.
Reading: ぼう
Because you don’t want the leaves to become scarce, you know you need to plant more things that grow leaves. The first tool you go for? Your trusty bo (ぼう).
Dig dig dig with your bo. Feel the wood on your hands. Hear the dirt scrape against wood. Even spend time looking for any other tool… sadly, the only thing you can find is your bo, which is a terrible digging instrument. It will have to do.
Vocabulary
Learn the vocab words before moving on.
a 乏しい（とぼしい）＝ Meager, Scarce
- Meaning: Same as the kanji. This is an i-adjective to describe something as meager or scarce
- Reading: Uses the kun’yomi reading. Rely on your study deck to learn the reading for this kanji (though you should be able to get the meaning just fine).
a 欠乏（けつぼう）＝ Want, Shortage, Famine
- Combo: 欠 (lack) + 乏 (scarce)
- Meaning: You don’t have much of something when you lack it and it is scarce
- Reading: Just know the on’yomi for the two kanji and you’ll know the reading for it as well.