品薄

• Reading: しなうす
• Romaji: shinausu
• Kanji breakdown: 品 (hin/shina) — goods, merchandise, quality; 薄 (haku/usu) — thin, sparse, faint, scarce
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.na.ɯ.sɯ/

Meaning

Shortage; scarcity; a condition in which goods are in short supply relative to demand.

A noun and na-adjective describing a market or retail situation in which goods are insufficient to meet demand. 品薄状態 (state of shortage) and 品薄感 (sense of scarcity) are common extensions. Used in retail, commodity, and supply chain contexts. The term implies that goods exist but are scarce, distinguishing it from 在庫切れ (completely out of stock). Scarcity often drives price increases, especially in commodity markets.

Examples

1. 地震の影響で建材が品薄となり、復旧工事が遅れている。 Due to the earthquake, building materials became scarce, delaying recovery construction.
2. 品薄感が強まると、投機的な買いが入り価格が跳ね上がりやすい。 When a sense of scarcity intensifies, speculative buying tends to drive prices up sharply.
3. 半導体の品薄は自動車産業全体の生産に深刻な影響をもたらした。 The semiconductor shortage had a serious impact on production across the entire automotive industry.

Usage Guide

Context: retail, supply chain, commodity markets, manufacturing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 品 (shina, goods/merchandise) and 薄 (usu, thin/sparse/faint). Together they vividly describe merchandise that is thin on the ground — scarce in supply. The image of goods being thin rather than thick captures the sense of insufficient quantity.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General/Business