Meaning of 缺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- deficiency
- lack
- scarce
- vacant post
- to run short of
How to use 缺
缺 is a verb meaning to lack or be short of, and it is common in everyday speech, often followed directly by what is missing. 我们还缺一个人。(Wǒmen hái quē yí ge rén.) We are still one person short. It also appears in many compounds like 缺点 (quēdiǎn) fault and 缺席 (quēxí) to be absent.
缺 (quē) has 缶 (fǒu), a clay jar, on the left and 夬 on the right. Picture a jar with a chunk broken off, so something is missing or lacking.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 午 or forget the bottom part of 缶, so check that the jar component is complete. Also, 缺 is first tone (quē), not third tone like 雀 is sometimes misread as.
缺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
缺 quē · deficiency · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 缺.
| 缺少 | quēshǎo | lack; shortage of |
| 缺点 | quēdiǎn | weak point; fault |
| 缺乏 | quēfá | to lack; to be short of |
| 缺陷 | quēxiàn | defect; flaw |
| 缺席 | quēxí | to be absent |
| 缺口 | quēkǒu | nick; jag |
| 短缺 | duǎnquē | shortage |
| 缺失 | quēshī | lack; deficiency; shortcoming; flaw; defect |
| 欠缺 | qiànquē | to be deficient in; lapse |
| 残缺 | cánquē | badly damaged; shattered |
| 紧缺 | jǐnquē | in short supply; scarce |
| 空缺 | kòngquē | vacancy |
Questions about 缺
What does 缺 mean?
缺 (quē) means "deficiency; lack" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 缺?
缺 is made of 1 character: 缺 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 缺 an HSK word?
Yes. 缺 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 缺 and 缺少?
Both mean to lack, but 缺 is shorter and more colloquial, often used with a specific amount, as in 缺两块钱 (quē liǎng kuài qián) two yuan short. 缺少 (quēshǎo) sounds a bit more complete and neutral in writing.
How is 缺 different from 缺乏?
缺乏 (quēfá) is more formal and usually takes abstract objects like 经验 (jīngyàn) experience or 信心 (xìnxīn) confidence. 缺 works with both concrete and abstract things in casual speech.