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不足 (bù zú) — (verb) to be insufficient, to lack; (verb) not worth (doing); (noun) insufficiency, shortcoming, deficiency

Definition

不足 is more formal and written than 不够 ('not enough'), often used as a noun for an insufficiency or shortcoming. It also appears in set phrases like 不足为奇 ('nothing surprising').

verb
to be insufficientto lacknot worth (doing)
noun
insufficiencyshortcomingdeficiency

Examples

  • 不足，。
    Gōng sī mù qián zī jīn bù zú, xū yào dài kuǎn.
    The company currently has insufficient funds and needs a loan.
  • ，。
    Zhè jiàn shì hěn cháng jiàn, bù zú wéi qí.
    This matter is very common; it's nothing to be surprised about.
  • 不足，。
    Zhè ge fāng àn hái yǒu hěn duō bù zú zhī chù, xū yào gǎi jìn.
    This plan still has many shortcomings and needs improvement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

不bùnot
足zúenough

不 means not, and 足 means enough; together they describe something that is not enough.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

足 was originally drawn as a leg.

Open 足 →
Appears in
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