Proverb / Kotowaza
貧乏人の子沢山
Poor families have many children.
A poor person's many children
Quick Answer
Poor families have many children.
- Literal Image
- A poor person's many children
- Closest Equivalent
- The poor always have many children.
- How to Use It
- Used to describe large families in difficult financial situations or to ironically comment on something multiplying in an already stretched situation.
Meaning
This expression refers to the observation that families with limited financial resources have a large number of children. It is also used ironically to remark on how certain things increase precisely when there is a lack of resources or room to spare.
Literal Image
A poor person's many children
Equivalent Proverbs
The poor always have many children.
Direct translation provided by the source.
How to Use It
Used to describe large families in difficult financial situations or to ironically comment on something multiplying in an already stretched situation.
Tone
Carries a sense of irony or social observation.
Examples
うちの家族は7人きょうだいで大変だったが、貧乏人の子沢山とはよく言ったものだ。
Our family had seven siblings and it was a struggle, but as the saying goes, the poor have many children.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses basic kanji and the possessive particle 'no', but the compound 'kodakusan' and the specific social nuance are less transparent for beginners.
貧乏人
びんぼうにん / binbonin
poor person
子沢山
こだくさん / kodakusan
having many children
Usage Profile
Usage note: Be careful when using this with others, as it can sound judgmental about their financial status.
Misread Risk
Avoid reading it as a literal rule of biology; it is a social observation and can be used ironically for non-family situations.
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Origin
This expression comes from the historical social context of agricultural villages, where having more children was beneficial because they provided essential labor for the farm. Another theory suggests that the lack of other forms of entertainment in poor households led to larger families.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.