Word
不足
Meaning in Englishinsufficiency, shortage
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 不足 mean? It designates a state in which something is not enough to meet needs or expectations; used to describe shortages of resources, time, capacity, or supply in daily life and formal contexts.
Main meanings
- insufficiency or shortage of resources, time, money, or supplies
- deficiency in capacity, skills, or capabilities within a system or organization
- in nutrition or medicine, a deficiency of a nutrient or vitamin
How to use it
Used as a noun in both formal and everyday speech to indicate a shortfall; common in business, economics, education, and government contexts; often appears in compounds such as 不足する, 不足分, 不足感, and in phrases describing needs not being met.
Variants and close terms
- 欠乏 (kettou): deficiency
- 充足 (juusoku): sufficiency
- 不十分 (fujūbun): insufficient
- 不足感 (fusokukan): sense of insufficiency
Composition
- 不: negation or 'not'
- 足: foot or 'enough'; here contributes the sense of sufficiency or lack
- Overall: together they form a compound meaning 'not enough' or 'shortage'
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N2
不運
fuun
unlucky, misfortune, bad luck
N2
不規則
fukisoku
irregularity, unsteadiness
N2
不潔
fuketsu
unclean, dirty
N3
満足
manzoku
satisfaction, contentment
N3
足袋
tabi
Japanese split-toe socks
N3
不通
futsuu
suspension, interruption, stoppage, tie-up, cessation
N3
不
fu
un(~), non(~), negative prefix
N3
不安
fuan
anxiety, uneasiness
N3
不可
fuka
wrong, bad, impossible
Kanji