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How to say 'Lack' or 'Shortage' in Japanese | 不足

Wondering how to say 'Lack' or 'Shortage' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Lack or Shortage is 'Fusoku', written as 不足 in Japanese.'Lack' or 'Shortage' in hiragana is ふそく.

    word

    不足

    Meaning

    Lack, Shortage

    Reading

    ふそく

    fusoku

    Kanji

    Not Foot, Sufficient

    Explanation

    The Japanese verbal noun '不足 (ふそく)' primarily means 'shortage' or 'lack'. It is used to describe a situation where there is not enough of something, whether it be physical items, resources, or abstract concepts like time or effort. For example: There is a shortage of water「水が不足している」(みずがふそくしている). I lack sleep「睡眠が不足している」(すいみんがふそくしている). It can also be used in a more abstract sense, such as a lack of effort「努力が不足している」(どりょくがふそくしている). The word is often used in both formal and informal contexts to indicate insufficiency.

    Part Of Speech

    verbal noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N4

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    5540

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 不足

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Not

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Foot, Sufficient

Words Related to 不足 Through the Kanji

These 44 Words contain the Kanji 不 as well.

  • word

    Meaning

    Not

  • word

    不便

    Meaning

    Inconvenient

  • word

    不動産屋

    Meaning

    Real estate agent

  • word

    不親切

    Meaning

    Unkind

  • word

    不幸

    Meaning

    Misfortune, Unhappiness

  • word

    不意

    Meaning

    Suddenness

  • word

    不味い

    Meaning

    Awkward, Unappetizing

  • word

    不可欠

    Meaning

    Essential

  • word

    不要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    不快

    Meaning

    Discomfort

  • word

    不況

    Meaning

    Recession

  • word

    不倫

    Meaning

    Affair

  • word

    不安

    Meaning

    Anxiety

  • word

    不満

    Meaning

    Dissatisfaction

  • word

    不可能

    Meaning

    Impossible

  • word

    不十分

    Meaning

    Insufficient

  • word

    不明

    Meaning

    Unknown

  • word

    不良

    Meaning

    Bad, Delinquent

  • word

    不合格

    Meaning

    Failure

  • word

    不当

    Meaning

    Unjust

  • word

    不規則

    Meaning

    Irregular

  • word

    不利

    Meaning

    Disadvantage

  • word

    不必要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    不安定

    Meaning

    Unstable

  • word

    不運

    Meaning

    Misfortune

  • word

    不自然

    Meaning

    Unnatural

  • word

    不自由

    Meaning

    Discomfort

  • word

    不思議

    Meaning

    Mysterious

  • word

    不平

    Meaning

    Complaint

  • word

    不平等

    Meaning

    Inequality

  • word

    不注意

    Meaning

    Carelessness

  • word

    不確か

    Meaning

    Uncertain

  • word

    不器用

    Meaning

    Clumsy

  • word

    不公平

    Meaning

    Unfair

  • word

    不法

    Meaning

    Illegal

  • word

    不完全

    Meaning

    Incomplete

  • word

    不正

    Meaning

    Wrongdoing

  • word

    不景気

    Meaning

    Recession

  • word

    不幸せ

    Meaning

    Unhappy

  • word

    不在

    Meaning

    Absence

  • word

    不得意

    Meaning

    Poor

  • word

    不潔

    Meaning

    Unclean, Filthy

  • word

    不機嫌

    Meaning

    Displeased

  • word

    不愉快

    Meaning

    Unpleasant

Words Related to 不足 Through the Kanji

These 15 Words contain the Kanji 足 as well.

  • word

    Meaning

    Leg, Foot

  • word

    足す

    Meaning

    Add

  • word

    足し算

    Meaning

    Addition

  • word

    足りる

    Meaning

    Suffice

  • word

    遠足

    Meaning

    Excursion

  • word

    足首

    Meaning

    Ankle

  • word

    足元

    Meaning

    Base, Foot

  • word

    足跡

    Meaning

    Footprint

  • word

    駆け足

    Meaning

    Trot

  • word

    足る

    Meaning

    Suffice

  • word

    満足

    Meaning

    Satisfaction

  • word

    手足

    Meaning

    Limbs

  • word

    足音

    Meaning

    Footsteps

  • word

    付け足す

    Meaning

    Add

  • word

    発足

    Meaning

    Start, Launch

Learn the Word 不足

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What does 'Fusoku' (不足) mean?

'Fusoku' means 'Lack' or 'Shortage' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.