匮 (kuì) — (bound form) to lack, to be deficient
Definition
匮 (kuì) is a bound classical/literary form meaning 'lacking'; it never stands alone and is nearly always followed by 乏 (匮乏, 'deficient') or 竭 (匮竭, 'exhausted'). Prefer 缺 in modern speech.
bound form
to lackto be deficient
Examples
- 。Zī yuán kuì fá shì fā zhǎn de dà wèn tí.Resource deficiency is a major problem for development.
- 。Cháng qī yíng yǎng kuì fá huì yǐng xiǎng jiàn kāng.Long-term nutritional deficiency can affect health.
- 匮，。Nà ge dì qū shuǐ yuán kuì jié, shēng huó hěn kùn nan.That region's water sources are exhausted, making life very difficult.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 匱; 匮 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
匚匚fāngcabinet
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì匱kuì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 匱 pairs a cabinet 匚 with 貴, which gives the sound; the simplified 匮 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original parts.
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