How to Write 缺 (quē) — Meaning “lack / missing”

Imagine a pottery jar (缶) with a large V-shaped crack (like the right part 夬) on its side, causing its contents to spill out. This picture of a cracked jar that is missing its contents helps you associate 缺 with "lack" or "missing."

Write the left radical 缶 first (6 strokes), then the right part 夬 (4 strokes). A common mistake is writing the last two strokes of 夬 in the wrong order: after the vertical stroke, write the left-falling stroke (捺) last, not before the vertical. Keep the left side slightly narrower than the right side.

缺 has the right component 夬 (a broken shape), while 缸 (gāng) has 工 (work) on the right, meaning a sturdy jar. Visually, 缺’s right side has a diagonal stroke that cuts downward, whereas 缸’s right side is a simple 工 with a horizontal top. In meaning, 缺 is about something missing, while 缸 is a container.

缺 appears in common words like 缺点 (shortcoming), 缺少 (to be short of), and 缺席 (to be absent). It is used whenever something expected or needed is not present, such as lacking a quality, a quantity, or a person. For example, you might say 我缺钱 (I lack money) or 他缺课 (he missed class).

Common words containing 缺 include: 缺点 (quē diǎn) — shortcoming / defect; 缺少 (quē shǎo) — to be short of; 缺席 (quē xí) — to be absent.