極貧

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 極貧 and read ごくひん, it is extreme poverty in which even basic resources for daily life are severely lacking.
• Basic usage: It describes a family in a poor village and a fictional person rebuilding life from that condition.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Far stronger than being short of money
  • The word indicates pervasive, severe deprivation rather than a temporary shortage.