缺失

• Pinyin: quē shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 缺 = 缶 + 夬 (pottery + breach — a gap/lack); 失 = 手 + 乙 (hand + slip — to lose/miss)

Meaning

Deficiency; absence; lack; to be missing or lacking. Refers to the state of something being absent when it should be present.

Often used in formal contexts to discuss systemic problems: 制度缺失 (institutional deficiency), 监管缺失 (regulatory gaps), 道德缺失 (moral deficit). More formal than 缺少, emphasising the problematic nature of the absence.

Examples

1. 家庭教育的缺失往往会对孩子的心理健康和人格发展产生深远的负面影响。 A lack of family education often has profound negative effects on a child’s mental health and personality development.
2. 这次事故暴露出企业在安全管理方面存在严重的制度缺失和监管漏洞。 This accident exposed serious gaps in the company’s safety management system and oversight.
3. 诚信的缺失正在侵蚀社会的道德基础，重建信任体系迫在眉睫。 The absence of integrity is eroding society’s moral foundation, and rebuilding a system of trust is urgent.

Usage Guide

Context: social criticism, policy, psychology, ethics

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 该报告深入分析了当前医疗体系中存在的资源分配不均和制度缺失问题。(This report deeply analyses the problems of uneven resource allocation and institutional deficiencies existing in the current healthcare system.)
• 法律意识的缺失是导致许多消费者权益受损却无法有效维权的重要原因。(The lack of legal awareness is an important reason why many consumers' rights are damaged but they cannot effectively protect their rights.)

Don't Say

• 缺失了五块钱 — 缺失 is for abstract or systemic things, not concrete items; use 少了五块钱 for missing money

Origin & History

缺 (lack/deficient) + 失 (lose/miss)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal