(quē) — to lack, to be short of; to be absent, to be missing

Definition

缺 is the single-character base verb 'to lack / be short of', used in everyday speech. 缺少 is the more common two-syllable form; 差 can also mean 'lack' but is used mainly in fixed expressions like 差点儿.

verb
to lackto be short ofto be absentto be missing

Examples

  • Wǒ zuì jìn hěn quē qián.
    I've been short of money lately.
  • Wǒ men bān quē yí gè xué shēng.
    Our class is short one student.
  • Tā jīn tiān quē kè le.
    He was absent from class today.

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