How to say "shortage" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 不足ふそくnoun, suru verb, intransitive verb, na-adjectiveCovers shortage and lack in the everyday sense of not having enough of something, such as food, sleep, or funds. This is usually the word you want for a plain shortage.
- 欠損けっそんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbFor shortage in the sense of deficit or loss, especially a numerical or financial shortfall. Also used for something physically missing or defective, so it is narrower than 不足.
- 欠乏けつぼうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbSuits deficiency and shortage of something essential that is largely or completely unavailable, such as vital resources. It suggests a deeper, more serious want than 不足.
- 欠如けつじょnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbBest for lack or absence of something abstract whose presence is expected, such as a quality, ability, or sense; the shortage sense is secondary. Less apt for countable running-short shortages.
- 難なんnoun, noun (suffix)Mainly means difficulty, hardship, or disaster; its shortage sense appears mostly in set expressions for famine and the like. Seldom the word you want for an ordinary shortage.
Use 不足 for an insufficient quantity of something needed, 欠損 for deficits or losses such as in accounting or missing body parts, 欠乏 for lacking an essential resource, 欠如 for the absence of a quality or element, and 難 chiefly for hardship or difficulty.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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