Inklingo
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pobre

PO-breh/ˈpo.βɾe/

poor

Also: unfortunate / pitiful, meager / of low quality
A small, simple, ceramic piggy bank that has a crack in it and is lying on its side, completely empty, illustrating a lack of money.

📝 In Action

Es una familia muy pobre, no tienen mucho dinero.

A2

They are a very poor family, they don't have much money.

¡Pobre niño! Se cayó de la bicicleta.

A2

Poor kid! He fell off his bike.

La cena fue un poco pobre, solo sopa y pan.

B1

The dinner was a bit meager, just soup and bread.

Mi pobre coche no funciona otra vez.

B1

My poor (unfortunate) car isn't working again.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • pobre diablo – poor devil, unfortunate soul
  • tierra pobre – poor/infertile land
  • de pobre a rico – from rags to riches

Idioms & Expressions

  • ser más pobre que una rata – to be extremely poor

poor person

Also: the poor
Nounm/fB1
A humble adult figure wearing simple, patched clothing, sitting on a wooden bench and holding a small, empty tin bowl.

📝 In Action

Le dio una moneda a un pobre en la calle.

B1

He gave a coin to a poor person on the street.

El gobierno tiene programas para ayudar a los pobres.

B1

The government has programs to help the poor.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • indigente (destitute person)
  • necesitado (needy person)

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pobre" in Spanish:

poor→poor person→the poor→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pobre

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence means 'The unfortunate man lost his keys' (you feel sorry for him)?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pobreza(poverty) — Noun
empobrecer(to impoverish, to become poor) — Verb
pobretón(poor wretch (informal)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'pauper', which meant 'producing little' or 'not wealthy'. It shares the same root as the English word 'pauper'.

First recorded: Around the 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: pauvreItalian: poveroPortuguese: pobre

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the real difference between 'pobre hombre' and 'hombre pobre'?

It's all about placement and feeling! 'Pobre hombre' means you feel sorry for him ('the unfortunate man'). 'Hombre pobre' is a neutral description of his finances ('a man who is poor').

Can 'pobre' be used for things, not just people?

Yes, absolutely. You can say 'una cosecha pobre' for a 'poor harvest' (meaning small or low-quality) or 'mi pobre coche' for 'my poor car' (showing you feel bad that it's old or broken).