貧乏 (binbou) conjugation
poverty, destitute, poor
貧乏 (びんぼう, binbou) is a na-adjective. Na-adjectives behave like nouns. The word itself never changes — you conjugate だ/です after it, and you need な to put it in front of a noun.
Conjugation table
| Form | Plain (casual) | Polite (~です) | When you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dictionary / plain | 貧乏だ binbouda | 貧乏です binboudesu | The form you look up. Also the casual “is ~”. |
| Negative | 貧乏じゃない binboujanai | 貧乏じゃないです binboujanaidesu | “is not ~”. |
| Past | 貧乏だった binboudatta | 貧乏でした binboudeshita | “was ~”. |
| Past negative | 貧乏じゃなかった binboujanakatta | 貧乏じゃなかったです binboujanakattadesu | “was not ~”. |
| Te-form | 貧乏で binboude | — | Links to the next clause: “~ and …”. |
| Adverb | 貧乏に binbouni | — | Turns it into “~ly”, describing a verb. |
| Before a noun | 貧乏な〜 binbouna〜 | — | How it attaches when it modifies a noun. |
| Conditional (~ば/なら) | 貧乏なら binbounara | — | “if it is ~”. |
| Conditional (~たら) | 貧乏だったら binboudattara | — | “if / when it is ~”. The everyday conditional. |
| Become (~なる) | 貧乏になる binbouninaru | 貧乏になります binbouninarimasu | “becomes ~” — the change-of-state form. |
| Too much (~すぎる) | 貧乏すぎる binbousugiru | 貧乏すぎます binbousugimasu | “too ~”. |
| Looks ~ (~そう) | 貧乏そう binbousou | 貧乏そうです binbousoudesu | “looks / seems ~” from appearance. |
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Why it conjugates this way
Na-adjectives behave like nouns. The word itself never changes — you conjugate だ/です after it, and you need な to put it in front of a noun.
See the full rules in the adjective conjugation guide.