先天不足 (xiān tiān bú) — 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 bú, 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 bú, 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 bú, wú fǎ jiě shì suǒ yǒu xiàn xiàng.This theory has inherent flaws and cannot explain all phenomena.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.