缺 (quē) - to lack & to be short of

缺Tone 1

quē ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

情仁

缺 · quē

to lack;

to be short of;

incomplete;

vacancy;

deficiency

to lackto be short ofincomplete

Usage highlights

lack ofshortagevacancydeficiencydefectabsence

Synonyms

  • 少— few; less; lacking
  • 乏— short of; to lack
  • 欠— to owe; to be deficient in

Antonyms

  • 满— full; complete
  • 足— sufficient; ample
  • 全— complete; whole

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We are short of staff (缺人).
  • There is a shortage of water (缺水).
  • This book is missing a page (缺页).
  • He lacks experience (缺乏经验).

Collocations

  • lack of(缺乏)
  • shortage(短缺)
  • vacancy(空缺)
  • deficiency(缺憾)
  • defect(缺点)
  • absence(缺席)

Idioms

  • Perfect despite minor flaws(白璧微瑕)
  • Broken and incomplete(残缺不全)
  • To make up for a deficiency(取长补短)
  • A flaw in an otherwise perfect thing(美中不足)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese philosophy, the concept of '缺' relates to the Daoist idea that emptiness and incompleteness have their own value.
  • The character appears in contexts discussing personal shortcomings or material deficiencies.
  • In traditional culture, perfect completeness was often seen as undesirable, with slight imperfections considered more natural and authentic.

FAQ