缺 meaning and stroke order
Deficiency; lack; scarce
How to write 缺, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 缺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- deficiency
- lack
- scarce
- vacant post
- to run short of
How 缺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jar.
缶 gives the meaning and 夬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 缶 (earthen crock or jar), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 缺
缺 is a jar 缶 (fǒu) on the left with 夬 (guài) on the right giving the sound. Picture a clay jar with a chip broken out of its rim: something is missing, so it is lacking.
缺 means to lack or be short of something, and it often appears in words like 缺少 (quēshǎo), 缺点 (quēdiǎn), and 缺席 (quēxí). It can also stand alone as a verb before a noun. Example: 我们还缺一个人。(Wǒmen hái quē yí ge rén.) We are still one person short.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 午 or forget the bottom part of 缶, which looks like 山 without its full shape. Also watch the right side: 夬 is not 央 (yāng), so do not add an extra stroke across the top.
Common words with 缺
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 缺少 | quēshǎo | lack; shortage of | HSK 3 |
| 缺点 | quēdiǎn | weak point; fault | HSK 3 |
| 缺乏 | quēfá | to lack; to be short of | HSK 5 |
| 缺陷 | quēxiàn | defect; flaw | HSK 6 |
| 缺席 | quēxí | to be absent | HSK 7-9 |
| 缺口 | quēkǒu | nick; jag | HSK 7-9 |
| 短缺 | duǎnquē | shortage | HSK 7-9 |
| 缺失 | quēshī | lack; deficiency; shortcoming; flaw; defect | HSK 7-9 |
| 欠缺 | qiànquē | to be deficient in; lapse | HSK 7-9 |
| 残缺 | cánquē | badly damaged; shattered | HSK 7-9 |
| 紧缺 | jǐnquē | in short supply; scarce | HSK 7-9 |
| 空缺 | kòngquē | vacancy | |
| 缺钱 | quēqián | shortage of money | |
| 不可或缺 | bùkěhuòquē | necessary; must have |
缺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 缺
How many strokes are in 缺?
缺 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 缺 mean?
缺 (quē) means deficiency; lack; scarce. A common word with it is 缺少 (quēshǎo), meaning "lack; shortage of".
How do you pronounce 缺?
缺 is pronounced quē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 缺?
The radical of 缺 is 缶, which carries the idea of "earthen crock or jar". Dictionaries list 缺 under this radical.
Is 缺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 缺 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 缺少 and 缺乏?
Both mean to lack. 缺少 is more everyday and often used with countable things, like 缺少一本书. 缺乏 is more formal and usually goes with abstract nouns, like 缺乏经验 (quēfá jīngyàn), lacking experience.
How do you say someone is absent from class with 缺?
Use 缺席 (quēxí) for formal absence, as in 他今天缺席了 (Tā jīntiān quēxí le), He was absent today. In casual speech 缺课 (quē kè) means to miss class.