不足
In Chinese, the English phrase "deficient" is translated as 不足.
不足 is an adjective used to describe something that is insufficient or inadequate in amount. It is frequently used in formal contexts to describe a deficiency in resources, funds or evidence, such as in the phrase 证据不足 (insufficient evidence).
Meaning: insufficient or inadequate in amount (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 不足 is composed of 不 (not) and 足 (enough/sufficient).
Which one should you use?
While 不足 is often used in formal or written contexts to describe a deficiency, 不够 is the more common, colloquial way to say "not enough" in spoken Chinese.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 以 after 不足 creates the construction 不足以, which means "not sufficient to [do something]".
Did you know?
- The character 足 (zú) used in 不足 literally means 'foot'. While it functions as 'sufficient' in this context, its primary physical meaning refers to the foot or a person's physical footing.
- In Chinese medicine, the concept of 'deficiency' is expressed through 不足, such as 气不足 for 'qi deficiency'. Unlike Western medicine, which often views deficiency as a lack of a substance, this describes an imbalance of energy flow.
- In classical Chinese poetry, writers used 不足 to claim their lives or achievements were 'insufficient' compared to the grandeur of their subject.
Examples in context
- 他的知识还不足以解决这个难题。His knowledge is still insufficient to solve this problem.
- 这个计划缺乏必要的资金支持。This plan lacks necessary financial support.
- 这个产品在设计方面还有不足之处。This product has deficiencies in terms of design.
- 这个电池的电量不够。The battery power of this device is not sufficient.
- 我们队伍中欠缺人才。Our team lacks talent.
- 他的睡眠时间严重不足。Tā de shuìmián shíjiān yánzhòng bùzú.His sleep time is seriously inadequate.
- 由于资金不足，计划停止了。Yóuyú zījīn bùzú, jìhuà tíngzhǐ le.Due to insufficient funds, the plan has stopped.
Example conversation
Two coworkers are discussing the progress of a project.
- 志强 Zhiqiang项目进度怎么样了？Xiàngmù jìndù zěnmeyàng le?How is the project progress?
- 雨婷 Yuting由于人力不足，很难完成。Yóuyú rénlì bùzú, hěn nán wánchéng.It's hard to finish due to insufficient manpower.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们需要更多人手吗？Wǒmen xūyào gèng duō rénshǒu ma?Do we need more hands?
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，现在的团队太小了。Shì de, xiànzài de tuánduì tài xiǎo le.Yes, the current team is too small.
