缺货 (quē huò) — to be out of stock, to run short

Definition

Means goods are unavailable because the supply has been used up or not restocked — a state, not a verb of action. A common term in retail, shopping, and supply-chain contexts.

verb
to be out of stockto run short

Examples

  • 缺货。
    Zhè jiā diàn hěn duō shāng pǐn dōu quē huò le.
    Many items in this store are out of stock.
  • 。
    Shàng ge yuè nà ge xíng hào de shǒu jī quē guò huò.
    That phone model was out of stock last month.
  • ，缺货。
    Míng tiān xīn huò dào le, jiù bú huì quē huò le.
    New stock arrives tomorrow, so it won't be out of stock then.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

缺quēlack
货huògoods

缺 expresses shortage of 货, giving the idea of stock running low.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
缶缶fǒuearthen pot
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài缺quē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

缺 pairs 缶, an earthen pot, with 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 缺 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →

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