Dictionary › 缺

缺

quē

HSK 4 Character

What 缺 means

1. deficiency
2. lack
3. scarce
4. vacant post
5. to run short of

Example sentences

• 我缺钱。
  I am short of money.
• 燃料短缺。
  Ránliào duǎnquē.
  There was a shortage of fuel.
• 汤姆缺席。
  Tom is absent.
• 她缺课了。
  She was absent from class.
• 他缺乏常识。
  Tā quēfá chángshí.
  He is lacking in common sense.
• 她缺乏常识。
  Tā quēfá chángshí.
  She is lacking in common sense.

Words starting with 缺

• 缺少quē shǎolack; shortage of; shortfall
• 缺点quē diǎnweak point; fault; shortcoming
• 缺乏quē fáto lack; to be short of
• 缺陷quē xiàndefect; flaw
• 缺口quē kǒunick; jag; gap
• 缺席quē xíto be absent
• 缺失quē shīlack; deficiency; shortcoming; flaw; defect; to be deficient; to lack
• 缺水quē shuǐwater shortage; dehydration
• 缺氧quē yǎnglacking oxygen; anaerobic
• 缺德quē démean; nasty; reprehensible; unprincipled
• 缺憾quē hàna regret; sth regrettable
• 缺货quē huòlack of supplies; unavailable goods
• 缺一不可quē yī bù kěnot a single one is dispensable; can't do without either
• 缺损quē sǔndefective; defect
• 缺位quē wèi(of a position) to fall vacant; vacant post; a vacancy…
• 缺觉quē jiàoto lack sleep; to be sleep-deprived
• 缺电quē diànto have a power shortage
• 缺额quē évacancy
• 缺钱quē qiánshortage of money
• 缺德事quē dé shìmisdeed; immoral action; wicked deed
• 缺心眼quē xīn yǎnstupid; senseless; dim-witted
• 缺油quē yóuoil shortage
• 缺角quē jiǎo(of a square shape, such as a house plan) to have a corner missing…
• 缺衣少食quē yī shǎo shíshort of food and clothing; destitute

Words containing 缺

• 短缺duǎn quēshortage
• 欠缺qiàn quēto be deficient in; lapse; deficiency
• 残缺cán quēbadly damaged; shattered
• 紧缺jǐn quēin short supply; scarce
• 不可或缺bù kě huò quēnecessary; must have
• 空缺kòng quēvacancy
• 稀缺xī quēscarce; scarcity
• 完美无缺wán měi wú quēperfect and without blemish; flawless; to leave nothing to be desired
• 无缺wú quēwhole
• 优缺点yōu quē diǎnadvantages and disadvantages; pros and cons; merits and shortcomings
• 奇缺qí quēvery short of (food, clean water etc); extreme shortage; deficit
• 圆缺yuán quēwaxing and waning (of the moon)
• 补缺bǔ quēto fill a vacancy; to make up for a shortage; to supply a deficiency
• 候缺hòu quēwaiting for a vacancy
• 出缺chū quēto fall vacant; a job opening at a high level
• 列缺liè quēlightning (archaic word)
• 或缺huò quēto lack; to do without
• 月缺yuè quēnew moon
• 职缺zhí quē(job) opening
• 破缺pò quēbreaking
• 不可缺少bù kě quē shǎoindispensable
• 完好无缺wán hǎo wú quēin perfect condition; without any defect
• 对称破缺duì chèn pò quēsymmetry breaking (physics)
• 自发对称破缺zì fā duì chèn pò quēspontaneous symmetry breaking (physics)

Characters built on 夬

These share the phonetic component 夬 (guài), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 决juéto decide; to determine; to execute (sb)
• 诀juéto bid farewell; tricks of the trade; pithy mnemonic formula…
• 抉juéto pick out; to single out
• 炔quēalkyne; also pr. jué

Characters that look like 缺

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 检jiǎnto check; to examine; to inspect
• 殃yāngcalamity
• 姝shūpretty woman
• 轶yì(bound form) (of a book, author etc) lost (to the ages)…
• 敝bìmy (polite); poor; ruined
• 秧yāngsapling; seedling; sprout; (esp.) rice seedling; stem; stalk; vine; baby livestock; fry

Sounds the same

Read quē, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 阙used in place of 缺 (old); mistake
• 炔alkyne; also pr. jué