匱 (guì) - Lack & be deficient

匱Tone 4

guì ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

匱 · guì

Lack;

be deficient;

exhausted;

empty;

a chest or box (archaic).

Lackbe deficientexhausted

Usage highlights

Lack of resourcesEmpty treasuryMedicine chestLacking talentFinancial deficiencyPoverty and lack

Synonyms

  • 缺— lack; be short of
  • 乏— lack; be short of
  • 空— empty; hollow

Antonyms

  • 足— sufficient; ample
  • 滿— full; filled
  • 盈— full; abundant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The country is lacking in resources (資源匱乏).
  • The treasury is exhausted (國庫空匱).
  • He opened the medicine chest (藥匱).

Collocations

  • Lack of resources(匱乏)
  • Empty treasury(空匱)
  • Medicine chest(藥匱)
  • Lacking talent(人才匱乏)
  • Financial deficiency(財政匱乏)
  • Poverty and lack(貧匱)

Idioms

  • The treasury is exhausted and the people are impoverished(民窮財匱)
  • Lacking in both talent and funds(才匱資乏)
  • To be completely exhausted(匱竭不堪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a bamboo box for storing items, later extended to mean 'empty' or 'deficient'.
  • Frequently used in classical texts to describe states of financial or resource scarcity.
  • The character structure reflects an enclosure (匚) containing valuable items, implying a container that can be full or empty.

FAQ