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先天不足 (xiān tiān bù zú) — inherent deficiency; congenital defect; inborn weakness (also used figuratively)

Definition

An idiom meaning a built-in or congenital flaw — originally medical, now widely used figuratively for projects, theories, or systems that start out deficient.

idiom
inherent deficiencycongenital defectinborn weakness (also used figuratively)

Examples

  • 先天不足，。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù cóng yì kāi jiù xiān tiān bù zú, hěn nán chéng gōng.
    This project had inherent deficiencies from the start, so it's hard to succeed.
  • 先天不足，。
    Tā de shēn tǐ xiān tiān bù zú, suǒ yǐ jīng cháng shēng bìng.
    His body has an inborn weakness, so he often gets sick.
  • 先天不足，。
    Zhè ge lǐ lùn xiān tiān bù zú, wú fǎ jiě shì suǒ yǒu xiàn xiàng.
    This theory has inherent flaws and cannot explain all phenomena.

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