供給

• Reading: きょうきゅう
• Romaji: kyokyu
• Kanji breakdown: 供 (kyo) — provide, offer; 給 (kyu) — supply, furnish
• Pronunciation: /kʲoː.kʲɯː/

Meaning

Supply; provision. The amount of a good or service made available to buyers in a market at a given time.

One half of the fundamental supply-and-demand (需要と供給) framework in economics. 供給過剰 (oversupply) pushes prices down; 供給不足 (shortage) pushes them up. Also used broadly for the provision of utilities, services, and resources (電力供給, 水供給). Frequently appears in news about semiconductor shortages, energy policy, and agricultural markets.

Examples

1. 原材料の供給が滞り、自動車メーカーの生産ラインが一時的に停止した。 Disruptions to the supply of raw materials temporarily halted production lines at automotive manufacturers.
2. 需要に対して供給が過剰になれば、価格への下落圧力が生じることは避けられない。 When supply exceeds demand, downward pressure on prices is unavoidable.
3. エネルギーの安定供給を確保するため、輸入先の多角化が官民挙げて進んでいる。 To secure a stable energy supply, diversification of import sources is being pursued through a joint public-private effort.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, manufacturing, energy, logistics

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 供 (to provide, offer) and 給 (to supply, furnish). Both characters carry the sense of delivering or offering something to someone, reinforcing the meaning of provision.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General