缺
Tap the pinyin to hear it
deficiency; lack; scarce; vacant post; to run short of
- HSK 3.0
- Level 3
- Old HSK
- Level 4
- Strokes
- 10
- Radical
- 缶 +4
- Structure
- Left–right 左右
- Traditional
- 缺
- Common rank
- #945
- Unicode
- U+7F3A
Sound it out + =
Formation & memory
Break the character into parts you already know.
How 缺 is formed
Phono-semantic compound (形声字)
缶 meaning “jar” + 夬 sound ()
Components 缶 夬
How to remember it
deficient · Heisig RSH #1444
tin can + guillotine
Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.
Words with 缺
The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 缺心眼儿 | erhua variant of 缺心眼[que1 xin1 yan3] | |
| 缺一不可 | not a single one is dispensable; can't do without either | |
| 缺心眼 | stupid; senseless; dim-witted | |
| 缺德事 | misdeed; immoral action; wicked deed; a deliberate wrongdoing | |
| 自发对称破缺 | spontaneous symmetry breaking (physics) | |
| 注意力缺失症 | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | |
| 不可缺少 | indispensable | |
| 缺水 | water shortage; dehydration | |
| 无缺 | whole | |
| 缺电 | to have a power shortage | |
| 出缺 | to fall vacant; a job opening at a high level | |
| 缺口 | nick; jag; gap; shortfall | |
| 缺德 | mean; nasty; reprehensible; unprincipled | |
| 注意力缺陷多动症 | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | |
| 缺德鬼 | public nuisance; a wicked, mean spirited individual | |
| 空缺 | vacancy | |
| 必不可缺 | see 必不可少[bi4 bu4 ke3 shao3] | |
| 注意力缺陷过动症 | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | |
| 缺点 | weak point; fault; shortcoming; disadvantage; CL:個|个[ge4] | |
| 对称破缺 | symmetry breaking (physics) |
Sound family
Characters sharing the sound component 夬 — compare how they read.