欠

See also: 缺 and 久

欠 U+6B20, 欠 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B20 ← 欟 [U+6B1F] CJK Unified Ideographs 次 → [U+6B21]

⽋ U+2F4B, ⽋ KANGXI RADICAL LACK ← ⽊ [U+2F4A] Kangxi Radicals ⽌ → [U+2F4C]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

欠 (Kangxi radical 76, 欠+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 弓人 (NO), four-corner 2780₂, composition ⿱⺈人)

1. Kangxi radical #76, ⽋.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese radical/欠
• 㐸, 吹, 坎, 𫰑, 𢁧, 弞, 𢓑, 忺, 扻, 㳄, 𤝆, 𬮼, 杴, 𣧋, 𣬴, 炊, 㸝, 𤘯, 𤜹, 㺵, 肷, 𥎯, 砍, 𮂸, 𪉁, 𥸷, 䊻, 缼, 𫆁, 𦥞, 𢆘, 㰷, 𮗦, 䚿, 赥, 赼, 𧿞, 軟(软), 𨠅, 𨱟, 𮮅, 欽(钦), 𣶙, 𩉢, 𩎗, 飲(飮, 饮), 𮩹, 䯉, 𩲟, 𨖯, 𣿁, 𩵢, 𫜌, 𪌒, 𨼤, 𠏩, 𠿖, 𪕆, 𡁍, 𪖗, 𢸈, 𮯀, 𬩠, 𦆃, 龡
• 𭤠, 𣪄, 𤝀, 芡, 䇜, 𢇣, 𤴼, 𮤉, 𣪳, 𭒖, 𤡻, 𭹒, 𤪵, 𬫘, 𭗊, 𮐁, 𬞢, 𥴋, 𭆇, 𠩼, 𭆣, 𭞗, 𣆾, 燞, 𤩤, 𨍁, 䪠, 𩐆, 𩞺, 𣣬

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 565, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15991
• Dae Jaweon: page 953, character 35
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2133, character 1
• Unihan data for U+6B20

Chinese

simp. and trad.		欠
alternative forms		㐸

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 欠
Shang	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (欠) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
坎	*kʰoːmʔ, *kʰoːms
扻	*kʰoːmʔ
砍	*kʰoːmʔ
芡	*ɡromʔ
欠	*kʰoms
杴	*qʰom
鍁	*qʰam

Pictogram (象形) – a kneeling person with mouth open for various reasons (e.g., begging 欠, speaking and/or spitting while speaking 次, blowing 吹, singing 歌, desiring 欲, being tired 軟, vomiting 歐...).

The reversed version of this character is 㒫 > 旡 (e.g. 既), which must not be confused with 无.

Similar but unrelated to 卩, in which the person kneeling has the mouth shut.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): qiàn (qian⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): qian⁴

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): qiān

  (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): qiēn

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): чян (či͡an, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): him³

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): hin³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): him¹

  (Yangjiang, Jyutping++): him³

• Gan (Wiktionary): qien³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khiam

  (Hailu, HRS): kiam^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): kiam⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): qie³
• Northern Min (KCR): ki̿ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): kiéng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khiàm

  (Teochew, Peng'im): kiam³ / kiêm³ / kiang³

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): kiam³

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): him³
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵chi / ⁵chie / ⁵chien
  • (Jinhua): ⁵chie
• Xiang

  (Changsha, Wiktionary): qienn⁴

  (Loudi, Wiktionary): qinn⁴

  (Hengyang, Wiktionary): qien⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciàn
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien⁴
    • Yale: chyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiann
    • Palladius: цянь (cjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: qian⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: kian
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: qiān
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiã⁵⁵/
  • (Nanjing)
    • Nanjing Pinyin: qiēn
    • Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): qien⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiẽ⁴⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: чян (či͡an, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiæ̃⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: him³
    • Yale: him
    • Cantonese Pinyin: him³
    • Guangdong Romanization: him³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hiːm³³/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: hin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hin³²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: him¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /him³³/
  • (Yangjiang Yue, Jiangcheng)
    • Jyutping++: him³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /him²⁴/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: qien³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khiam
    • Hakka Romanization System: kiam
    • Hagfa Pinyim: kiam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰi̯am⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: kiam^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰiam¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: kiam⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰiam⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: qie³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕʰie⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ki̿ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiŋ³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: kiéng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiɛŋ²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiàm
    • Tâi-lô: khiàm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiaxm
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kʰiam⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kʰiam²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰiam¹¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: kiam³ / kiêm³ / kiang³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khiàm / khièm / khiàng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiam²¹³/, /kʰiem²¹³/, /kʰiaŋ²¹³/

Note:

• kiam3 - Shantou, Chaoyang, Jieyang, Raoping;
• kiêm3 - Chaozhou;
• kiang3 - Chenghai.

• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: kiam³
  • Sinological IPA: /kʰiam²¹/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: him³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /him⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chi
    • MiniDict: chi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²qi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕʰi³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Jiading, Chongming, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chie
    • MiniDict: chie^去
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡ɕʰɪ³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡ɕʰie³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡ɕʰɪ⁵²³/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chien
    • MiniDict: chien^去
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡ɕʰiẽ̞⁴⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡ɕʰiẽ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /t͡ɕʰĩ⁴⁴/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chie
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /t͡ɕʰie⁵⁵/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: qienn⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ẽ⁴⁵/
  • (Loudi)
    • Wiktionary: qinn⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰĩ³⁵/
  • (Hengyang)
    • Wiktionary: qien⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: khjaemH

Rime
Character	欠
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	嚴 (145)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	去劔切
Baxter	khjaemH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰɨɐmH/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰiɐmH/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰiɐmH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɨamH/
Li Rong	/kʰiɐmH/
Wang Li	/kʰĭɐmH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰi̯ɐmH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qiàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	him3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ʰ(r)om-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰoms/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	欠
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	qiàn
Middle Chinese	‹ khjomH ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ʰ(r)om-s/
English	yawn
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	欠
Reading #	1/1
No.	10274
Phonetic component	欠
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*kʰoms/
Notes	原列梵韻依王韻改釅

Definitions

欠

1. to lack; to be deficient
2. to owe
3. to ask for; to beg for

   欠揍  ―  qiànzòu  ―  asking for a beating

4. (Mandarin) to yawn
5. (Mandarin) to raise slightly (a part of the body)
6. (Mandarin, dialectal) to be fidgety and bungling
7. (Wuhan Mandarin) to miss somebody

Synonyms

• (to lack):

edit

• 不夠 / 不够 (bùgòu)
• 不敷 (bùfū) (literary)
• 不滿 / 不满 (bùmǎn)
• 不足 (bùzú)
• 乏達 / 乏达 (Quanzhou Hokkien)
• 匱乏 / 匮乏 (kuìfá)
• 欠缺 (qiànquē)
• 短少 (duǎnshǎo)
• 短缺 (duǎnquē)
• 絕乏 / 绝乏 (juéfá) (literary)
• 缺乏 (quēfá)
• 缺如 (quērú) (literary)
• 缺少 (quēshǎo)
• 缺欠 (quēqiàn)
• 缺缺 (Xiamen Hokkien)
• 虧 / 亏 (kuī)
• 貧 / 贫 (pín) (literary, or in compounds)
• 闕乏 / 阙乏 (quēfá) (literary)
• 闕如 / 阙如 (quērú) (literary)

 

• (to owe):

Dialectal synonyms of 欠 (“to owe”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		欠
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	該, 欠
	Taiwan	欠
	Harbin	欠, 該
	Malaysia	欠
	Singapore	欠
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	該, 欠, 短
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	欠, 該
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	欠, 該, 爭
	Xi'an	爭, 該
	Xining	欠, 該
	Xuzhou	少, 該
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	欠, 該
	Ürümqi	欠, 該, 短
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	爭, 該, 欠
	Wuhan	該, 差
	Guiyang	爭, 該, 欠
	Guilin	欠
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	空, 該, 欠
	Yangzhou	差, 該, 空
	Hefei	該, 差
Cantonese	Guangzhou	爭, 欠
	Hong Kong	爭, 欠
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	爭
	Macau	爭
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	爭
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	爭
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	爭
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	爭
	Foshan	爭
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	爭
	Foshan (Shunde)	爭
	Foshan (Sanshui)	爭
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	欠
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	爭
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	爭
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	欠
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	爭
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	爭
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	爭
	Taishan	爭
	Kaiping (Chikan)	爭
	Enping (Niujiang)	爭
	Heshan (Yayao)	爭
	Dongguan	爭
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	爭
	Yangjiang	欠, 爭
	Nanning	爭
	Yulin	爭
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	爭
Gan	Nanchang	該
	Lichuan	欠, 該
	Pingxiang	差, 少
Hakka	Meixian	欠, 爭
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	少
	Huiyang	少, 爭
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	爭
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	爭
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	差
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	欠
	Liannan	欠
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	欠, 爭
	Jiexi	欠
	Changting	欠
	Wuping	少
	Ninghua	欠
	Yudu	欠
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	欠
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	欠
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	欠
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	欠
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	欠
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	欠
	Hong Kong	爭
Huizhou	Jixi	欠
Jin	Taiyuan	該, 短
	Xinzhou	該, 短
Northern Min	Jian'ou	欠
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	欠
Southern Min	Xiamen	欠
	Quanzhou	欠
	Zhangzhou	欠
	Taipei	欠 GT
	Singapore (Hokkien)	欠
	Manila (Hokkien)	欠
	Chaozhou	欠
	Shantou	欠
	Singapore (Teochew)	欠
	Leizhou	欠, 該
	Haikou	欠
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	欠
Wu	Shanghai (Chongming)	欠, 該
	Suzhou	欠
	Danyang	欠
	Hangzhou	欠
	Wenzhou	欠, 爭
	Jinhua	欠
Xiang	Changsha	該, 欠
	Loudi	欠
	Shuangfeng	欠, 該
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)

Compounds

• 七拖八欠
• 下欠
• 兩不相欠 / 两不相欠 (liǎngbùxiāngqiàn)
• 只欠東風 / 只欠东风
• 呵欠 (hēqiàn)
• 呵欠連天 / 呵欠连天
• 哈欠 (hāqiàn)
• 嘴欠 (zuǐqiàn)
• 外欠
• 官欠
• 尾欠
• 懸欠 / 悬欠
• 手欠 (shǒuqiàn)
• 打呵欠 (dǎ hēqiàn)
• 打哈欠 (dǎ hāqian)
• 拖欠 (tuōqiàn)
• 掛欠 / 挂欠
• 撇欠
• 欠事
• 欠伸 (qiànshēn)
• 欠佳 (qiànjiā)
• 欠債 / 欠债 (qiànzhài)
• 欠債還錢 / 欠债还钱
• 欠奉
• 欠契
• 欠好
• 欠妥 (qiàntuǒ)
• 欠安 (qiàn'ān)
• 欠少
• 欠情
• 欠打 (qiàndǎ)
• 欠揍 (qiànzòu)
• 欠據 / 欠据 (qiànjù)
• 欠收
• 欠格 (qiàngé, “abessive case”)
• 欠條 / 欠条 (qiàntiáo)
• 欠款 (qiànkuǎn)
• 欠火
• 欠當 / 欠当
• 欠租
• 欠稅 / 欠税
• 欠繳 / 欠缴
• 欠缺 (qiànquē)
• 欠薪 (qiànxīn)
• 欠資 / 欠资 (qiànzī)
• 欠資郵票 / 欠资邮票
• 欠身 (qiànshēn)
• 短欠
• 積欠 / 积欠
• 索欠
• 缺欠 (quēqiàn)
• 落虧欠 / 落亏欠
• 虧欠 / 亏欠 (kuīqiàn)
• 賒欠 / 赊欠 (shēqiàn)
• 風欠 / 风欠

 

References

• “欠”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

欠

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. yawn
2. lack

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon)
• Kan-on: けん (ken)
• Kun: あくび (akubi, 欠)

Compounds

• 欠伸(あくび) (akubi, “yawn”)

Kanji

Shinjitai	欠
Kyūjitai	缺

欠

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 缺)

1. lack, shortage
2. to be absent
3. vacancy

Readings

• Kan’yō-on: けち (kechi)、けつ (ketsu, Jōyō)
• Kun: かく (kaku, 欠く, Jōyō)、かける (kakeru, 欠ける, Jōyō)

Usage notes

• In modern Japanese, 欠(けつ) (ketsu) is used to spell words that etymologically feature 缺(けつ) (ketsu), for example 欠(けっ)席(せき) (kesseki) < 缺(けっ)席(せき) (kesseki). The above mentioned kanji 欠(けん) (ken) is uncommon and its most notable usage is in the word 欠(けん)缺(けつ) (kenketsu), which features both kanji.

Compounds

Compounds

• 欠(けつ)員(いん) (ketsuin)
• 欠(けっ)格(かく) (kekkaku)
• 欠(けっ)陥(かん) (kekkan)
• 欠(けっ)勤(きん) (kekkin)
• 欠(けつ)如(じょ) (ketsujo)
• 欠(けっ)席(せき) (kesseki)
• 欠(けっ)席(せき)裁(さい)判(ばん) (kesseki saiban)
• 欠(けっ)損(そん) (kesson)
• 欠(けつ)番(ばん) (ketsuban)
• 欠(けつ)乏(ぼう) (ketsubō), 欠(けつ)乏(ぼく) (ketsuboku)
• 欠(けん)缺(けつ) (kenketsu, “lack”)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
欠
あくび Grade: 4
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 欠 – see the following entry.

【あくび】 [noun] 欠, 欠伸: [from 901] a yawn, yawning [noun] 欠: the 欠 element in kanji characters [verb] to yawn Alternative spelling 欠伸

(This term, 欠, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja

欠 (eumhun 하품 흠 (hapum heum))

1. hanja form^? of 흠 (“yawn”)

Compounds

• 흠결 (欠缺, heumgyeol, “deficiency, lack”)
• 흠신 (欠伸, heumsin, “yawn and stretch”)

Vietnamese

Han character

欠: Hán Nôm readings: khiếm

1. chữ Hán form of khiếm (“lacking”).

Compounds

• 欠缺 (khiếm khuyết)
• 欠聽 (khiếm thính)
• 欠視 (khiếm thị)
• 欠雅 (khiếm nhã)