短缺

• Pinyin: duǎn quē
• Hanzi breakdown: 短 = 矢 (arrow, measure) + 豆 (phonetic — implying something measurably small); 缺 = 缶 (jar) + 夬 (broken) — incomplete vessel

Meaning

Shortage; an insufficient supply of something needed. Used when a resource, commodity, or personnel falls critically short of demand.

Common in economics, resource management, and policy contexts. 劳动力短缺 (labour shortage), 粮食短缺 (food shortage), 资金短缺 (funding shortage). Often signals a structural problem rather than a temporary gap. More formal than 不足, and typically used for critical resources at a systemic level.

Examples

1. 受干旱影响，该地区出现严重的淡水资源短缺问题。 Because of the drought, the region is facing a severe shortage of freshwater resources.
2. 城市医疗体系中全科医生的短缺已成为亟待解决的结构性难题。 The shortage of primary care doctors in the city’s medical system has become a structural problem that urgently needs to be addressed.
3. 由于原材料短缺，多家制造企业不得不削减产量以应对危机。 Due to a shortage of raw materials, many manufacturers have had to cut output to cope with the crisis.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, resources, policy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 专业技术人才的短缺已制约了该地区高新技术产业的发展速度。(The shortage of specialised technical talent has constrained the development pace of high-tech industries in the region.)
• 政府正采取多项措施缓解农村地区教师短缺的问题。(The government is taking multiple measures to alleviate the teacher shortage in rural areas.)

Don't Say

• 这个句子短缺了一个词 — for missing elements in text or grammar use 缺少 or 少了; 短缺 is reserved for systemic supply deficits, not missing components in writing

Origin & History

短 (short/lacking) + 缺 (deficient/missing)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal