缺陷

• Pinyin: quē xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 缺 = 缶 (pottery) + 夬 (phonetic) — lacking; 陷 = 阝(hill) + 臽 (phonetic) — pit, flaw

Meaning

Defect; flaw; shortcoming. An imperfection or weakness in something.

Used for physical defects in products, biological or genetic defects, character flaws, or shortcomings in systems or plans. More formal than 毛病 and often used in technical, medical, or analytical contexts. Common collocations include 先天缺陷 (congenital defect), 性格缺陷 (character flaw), and 制度缺陷 (systemic flaw).

Examples

1. 这款产品因设计缺陷被召回了。 This product was recalled due to design defects.
2. 每个人都有自己的性格缺陷，关键是如何面对。 Everyone has their own character flaws — the key is how to face them.
3. 这套方案虽然可行，但仍存在一些缺陷需要完善。 Although this plan is feasible, it still has some flaws that need to be improved.

Usage Guide

Context: quality, analysis, medicine

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 产品有缺陷。(The product has a defect.)
• 我们要正视自己的缺陷。(We must face our own shortcomings.)

Don't Say

• 不要用'缺陷'形容小毛病 (For minor issues, use 小问题 or 毛病 — 缺陷 implies a more serious or inherent flaw)

Origin & History

Compound of 缺 (lack, be short of) and 陷 (pit, trap, deficiency). Together they describe something that is lacking or flawed.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal