Pauvre is the most common way to say “poor” in French. But just like in English, “poor” can mean a lot of different things – from lacking money to being unfortunate, or even describing something of low quality. To truly express yourself with nuance and precision in French, it’s essential to know these variations. Let’s dive into 9 different ways to say “poor” in French, so you can choose the perfect word for any situation!

The standard 'poor' – pauvre

The standard 'poor' – pauvre

Pauvre is a common French adjective primarily meaning 'poor'.

Unlike many French adjectives, pauvre is invariant in gender, meaning it doesn't change form whether it describes a male or female noun. However, it does change for number:

pauvre - singular (male or female)
pauvres - plural (male or female)

You'll hear pauvre in various situations, from formal discussions about economic hardship to informal expressions of sympathy.

While it always relates to a lack or misfortune, the placement of pauvre relative to the noun significantly alters its meaning.

This is a classic example of a French adjective whose meaning changes based on its position:

When pauvre comes after the noun, it refers to actual financial poverty or a lack of resources. (e.g., un homme pauvre - a poor man, financially)
When pauvre comes before the noun, it means 'unfortunate', 'pitiable', 'wretched', or 'poor dear'. It expresses sympathy or mild exasperation. (e.g., un pauvre homme - an unfortunate man)

Consider the difference: une femme pauvre describes a woman who lacks money. However, une pauvre femme describes a woman who is unfortunate or pitiable, regardless of her financial status.

You'll often hear it used in sympathetic exclamations like Mon pauvre! (My poor thing! / You poor thing!, said to a male) or Ma pauvre! (to a female), conveying pity or concern.

This distinction highlights how French can convey subtle emotional and social nuances through word order. Understanding it will make your communication much more precise and natural.

Remember: for pauvre, position is everything! After the noun for 'financially poor', before the noun for 'unfortunate' or 'pitiable'.

💡 * C'est une famille pauvre. (It's a poor family.)

Quel pauvre homme! Il a perdu son travail. (What an unfortunate man! He lost his job.)

Ma pauvre, tu es fatiguée? (You poor thing, are you tired? - addressing a female)

Les pauvres n'ont pas accès à ces services. (The poor don't have access to these services.)

Il a fait un pauvre effort. (He made a poor/feeble effort.)

The 'indigent' or 'needy' – indigent/indigente

The "indigent" or "needy" – indigent/indigente

The French terms indigent (masculine) and indigente (feminine) refer to someone who is 'indigent' or 'needy', indicating a state of extreme poverty and lack of resources.

Unlike pauvre (poor), which can be used more broadly, indigent often appears in official, administrative, or legal contexts to describe individuals or families lacking basic necessities.

This word carries a strong and often stark connotation, highlighting a dire situation where a person is unable to provide for themselves, sometimes even implying homelessness or reliance on public assistance.

As an adjective, indigent agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: un homme indigent (an indigent man), une femme indigente (an indigent woman), des personnes indigentes (indigent people).

While pauvre is a more common and general term for 'poor', indigent specifies a more severe and often officially recognized state of destitution, implying a complete lack of means.

You'll most likely encounter indigent in formal reports, social welfare discussions, or literature, rather than in casual everyday conversation due to its strong and specific meaning.

💡 * Les familles indigentes reçoivent une aide spéciale du gouvernement. (Indigent families receive special government aid.)

Un service d'aide aux indigents a été mis en place dans la ville. (A service for aiding the indigent has been established in the city.)

Elle a consacré sa vie à aider les personnes indigentes de sa communauté. (She dedicated her life to helping the indigent people in her community.)

Le rapport décrivait la situation critique des populations indigentes. (The report described the critical situation of the indigent populations.)

The 'destitute' or 'deprived' – démuni/démunie

The French adjective démuni (masculine singular) or démunie (feminine singular) literally means 'deprived' or 'destitute'. It comes from the verb démunir, meaning 'to deprive'.

It refers to someone lacking essential resources, most commonly financial, but it can also imply a lack of emotional support, skills, or even hope. It conveys a strong sense of vulnerability and need.

Like many French adjectives, démuni agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: démunis (masculine plural) and démunies (feminine plural).

It can also be used as a noun, un démuni or une démunie, to refer to a person who is destitute, deprived, or without means.

You'll often encounter démuni in contexts discussing poverty, social aid, humanitarian efforts, or situations where people are left without means or support. It's a word frequently used in news and official reports.

💡 * Les personnes démunies ont besoin d'aide. (Deprived people need help.)

Il se sent démuni face à cette situation complexe. (He feels helpless/without means in this complex situation.)

Elle était complètement démunie après avoir tout perdu dans l'incendie. (She was completely destitute after losing everything in the fire.)

La fondation vient en aide aux plus démunis de la ville. (The foundation helps the most deprived of the city.)

Sans ses papiers et son argent, il était démuni à l'étranger. (Without his papers and money, he was helpless/without means abroad.)

The 'wretched' or 'miserable' – miséreux/miséreuse

The terms miséreux (masculine singular) and miséreuse (feminine singular) describe someone who is 'wretched,' 'miserable,' or living in extreme poverty.

Miséreux/miséreuse can function as both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective, it means 'miserable' or 'impoverished.' As a noun, 'un miséreux' or 'une miséreuse' refers to a 'destitute person' or 'wretch.' The plural forms are miséreux (masculine plural) and miséreuses (feminine plural).

This word is primarily used to describe individuals or groups suffering from severe hardship, lacking basic necessities, and experiencing profound misfortune. It carries a strong connotation of deep pity, despair, or sometimes even a hint of contempt, emphasizing the extreme nature of their condition.

Unlike simpler terms for 'poor,' miséreux/miséreuse implies a state of profound and often hopeless suffering. It's a powerful word used to convey intense distress or destitution, highlighting the dire circumstances of the person described.

💡 * Il vit comme un miséreux depuis qu'il a tout perdu. (He lives like a wretch since he lost everything.)

Les miséreux de la ville ont besoin d'aide. (The destitute people of the city need help.)

Elle avait l'air miséreuse, assise sur le banc. (She looked miserable, sitting on the bench.)

C'est une situation miséreuse. (It's a miserable situation.)

Beaucoup de miséreuses cherchent refuge. (Many destitute women seek refuge.)

The 'without a penny' – sans le sou

The “without a penny” – sans le sou

The French expression sans le sou literally translates to “without the penny,” and it means to be completely broke or without any money.

It's an informal idiom commonly used in everyday conversation to describe someone who has no money at all.

The word sou refers to an old French coin of very low value. While these coins are no longer in circulation, the expression persists to signify an extreme lack of funds.

You'd use sans le sou to describe yourself or someone else who is completely out of cash, perhaps after a shopping spree or before payday. It conveys a sense of being utterly penniless.

Similar informal expressions include être fauché (to be broke) or simply ne pas avoir d'argent (to not have money), but sans le sou emphasizes the absolute lack of even a single coin.

💡 * Je suis sans le sou après mes vacances. (I'm penniless after my vacation.)

Il ne peut pas acheter ça, il est sans le sou. (He can't buy that, he's broke.)

Elle a dépensé tout son argent et maintenant elle est sans le sou. (She spent all her money and now she's penniless.)

On ne peut pas sortir ce soir, je suis complètement sans le sou. (We can't go out tonight, I'm completely broke.)

The 'broke' (informal) – fauché/fauchée

In French, to say you are 'broke' or out of money in an informal way, you use the adjective fauché (masculine) or fauchée (feminine). It literally means 'mown down' or 'cut down,' but colloquially it signifies being completely out of cash, similar to 'skint' or 'flat broke' in English.

Like many French adjectives, fauché must agree in gender with the person it describes. If a man is broke, he is fauché. If a woman is broke, she is fauchée. For a plural group, it would be fauchés (masculine plural) or fauchées (feminine plural).

This term is very common in everyday, casual conversation among friends or family. It's a direct and relatable way to express financial emptiness, and you'll often hear it in phrases like être fauché (to be broke) or je suis fauché(e) (I am broke).

While fauché is widely understood and used in informal settings, it's important to remember its casual nature. For more formal contexts, phrases like être sans argent (to be without money) or avoir des difficultés financières (to have financial difficulties) would be more appropriate.

💡 * Désolé, je ne peux pas venir, je suis complètement fauché ce mois-ci. (Sorry, I can't come, I'm completely broke this month.)

Elle a acheté trop de choses, maintenant elle est fauchée. (She bought too many things, now she's broke.)

On ne peut pas sortir ce soir, on est fauchés. (We can't go out tonight, we're broke.)

Tu es fauché ? Pas de problème, c'est ma tournée ! (Are you broke? No problem, it's my round!)

The 'in poverty' – dans la misère

The French expression for 'in poverty' or 'in destitution' is dans la misère.

The word misère itself refers to extreme poverty, destitution, or misery. When used with dans la, it emphasizes a state of being plunged into or living within this profound hardship.

This phrase conveys a strong sense of suffering and lack, going beyond simple financial difficulty to imply a state of extreme deprivation and often, despair. It's often used to describe individuals or groups experiencing severe economic and social hardship.

💡 *Beaucoup de familles vivent dans la misère suite à la crise économique. (Many families live in poverty following the economic crisis.)
*Il a passé une partie de son enfance dans la misère. (He spent part of his childhood in destitution.)
*L'association aide les personnes qui sont dans la misère. (The association helps people who are in poverty.)
*On ne peut pas ignorer ceux qui sont dans la misère. (We cannot ignore those who are in misery/destitution.)

The 'needy' or 'in want' – nécessiteux/nécessiteuse

The French terms nécessiteux (masculine) and nécessiteuse (feminine) are used to describe someone who is 'needy,' 'destitute,' or 'in want.' It directly translates to 'in need' or 'lacking something essential.'

Primarily an adjective, nécessiteux/nécessiteuse can also function as a noun to refer to 'a needy person' or 'the needy.' It's crucial to match the gender and number with the subject it describes.

This word most commonly refers to a lack of financial resources or basic material necessities. It carries a connotation of poverty or severe disadvantage, highlighting someone who requires assistance or support.

💡 * Ils ont aidé les familles nécessiteuses de leur quartier. (They helped the needy families in their neighborhood.)

C'est une personne nécessiteuse qui a besoin d'assistance. (She is a needy person who needs assistance.)

Les dons sont destinés aux plus nécessiteux. (Donations are intended for the most needy.)

Sa générosité envers les nécessiteux est bien connue. (His generosity towards the needy is well-known.)

The 'beggar' or 'pauper' (archaic/derogatory) – gueux/gueuse

The French terms gueux (masculine) and gueuse (feminine) refer to a 'beggar' or 'pauper'. These words describe someone in extreme poverty, relying on charity.

While they directly translate to 'beggar' or 'pauper', gueux and gueuse are largely considered archaic and often carry a derogatory connotation. They are not commonly used in polite or everyday conversation today to describe someone experiencing homelessness or poverty.

You are most likely to encounter gueux or gueuse in historical texts, literature, or period pieces, where they reflect the social conditions and language of past eras. For instance, they might appear in stories about medieval times or the French Revolution.

In modern French, if used, gueux or gueuse would primarily function as a strong insult, implying someone is wretched, worthless, or utterly destitute in a demeaning way. It's a harsh term to call someone.

💡 *Dans le roman, les gueux vivaient en marge de la société. (In the novel, the beggars lived on the fringes of society.)
*Elle a traité son ennemi de gueuse, une insulte grave. (She called her enemy a pauper, a serious insult.)
*Les gueux se rassemblaient souvent près des portes de la ville. (The paupers often gathered near the city gates.)
*C'était une vieille gueuse sans le sou. (She was an old penniless pauper.)

Are there other ways to say 'poor' in French?

Are there other ways to say “poor” in French?

Our list has covered the most common and versatile ways to express “poor” in French. However, the French language, like any other, is rich with nuances. You’ll find a spectrum of terms, from formal and literary to colloquial and even slang, reflecting different aspects of poverty or lack.

To explore further, you might try an online search for phrases like “synonymes de pauvre” (synonyms of poor) or “argot pour pauvre” (slang for poor). This can reveal regional expressions or terms specific to certain social contexts.

When you encounter new words for “poor,” always verify their precise meaning and connotation. A dictionary like Larousse or Le Robert is invaluable, and observing how the word is used in French media or literature will provide crucial context.

As you immerse yourself in French, through books, films, or conversations, pay close attention to the vocabulary used to describe economic situations or a lack of resources. You’ll likely uncover a fascinating array of expressions beyond the basics.

For a comprehensive look at the various meanings and related terms for pauvre, the WordReference entry is an excellent starting point. It often provides multiple translations, synonyms, and usage examples.

I hope this article has enriched your French vocabulary. To conclude, here’s a poignant thought from Victor Hugo: “La pauvreté est la plus grande des oppressions.” (Poverty is the greatest of oppressions.)

9 ways to say "poor" in French