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
• 赼, 芡, 䇜, 燞, 䪠
• 㐸, 吹, 坎, 弞, 忺, 扻, 㳄, 杴, 炊, 㸝, 㺵, 肷, 砍, 䊻, 缼, 㰷, 䚿, 赥, 軟(软), 欽(钦), 飲(飮,饮), 䯉, 龡

Additional Derived Characters

• 𫰑, 𢁧, 𢓑, 𤝆, 𬮼, 𣧋, 𤘯, 𤜹, 𥎯, 𮂸, 𪉁, 𥸷, 𫆁, 𦥞, 𢆘, 𮗦, 𧿞, 𨠅, 𨱟, 𣶙, 𩉢, 𩎗, 𮩹, 𣿁, 𩵢, 𫜌, 𪌒, 𨼤, 𠏩, 𠿖, 𪕆, 𡁍, 𪖗, 𢸈, 𮯀, 𦆃
• 𣬴, 𮮅, 𩲟, 𨖯, 𬩠, 𭤠, 𣪄, 𤝀, 𢇣, 𤴼, 𮤉, 𣪳, 𭒖, 𤡻, 𭹒, 𤪵, 𬫘, 𭗊, 𮐁, 𬞢, 𥴋, 𭆇, 𠩼, 𭆣, 𭞗, 𣆾, 𤩤, 𨍁, 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 (qian, 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
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kieng⁴ / keng⁴
• 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 / ⁵chiaen
  • (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 (qian, 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/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Jiangkou, Xianyou, Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kieng⁴
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: kia̍ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiɛŋ⁴²/
  • (Donghai, Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kieng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰieŋ⁴²/
  • (Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: keng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰe̞ŋ⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khiàm
    • Tâi-lô: khiàm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qiaxm
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kʰiam⁴¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kʰiam²¹/
    • Sinological 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, Songjiang, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chi
    • MiniDict: chi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²qi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕʰi³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /cʰi³⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Jiading, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chie
    • MiniDict: chie^去
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡ɕʰɪ³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡ɕʰie³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡ɕʰɪ⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /t͡ɕʰɪ⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /t͡ɕʰie³³⁴/
  • (Northern: Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chien
    • MiniDict: chien^去
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡ɕʰiẽ̞⁴⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡ɕʰiẽ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /t͡ɕʰĩ⁴⁴/
  • (Northern: Fuyang)
    • Wugniu: ⁵chiaen
    • Sinological IPA (Fuyang): /t͡ɕʰiɛ̃³³⁵/
  • (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
8. (Leizhou Min, Hainanese) must; to have to

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)
• 缺失 (quēshī)
• 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, 空
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, 空
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, 空
	Haikou	欠
Puxian Min	Putian	欠, 差
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	欠
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	欠
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	欠
	Xianyou	欠, 少
	Xianyou (Fengting)	欠
	Xianyou (Youyang)	欠
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	欠
Wu	Shanghai	空
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	空
	Shanghai (Chongming)	欠, 該, 空
	Suzhou	欠
	Danyang	欠
	Hangzhou	欠
	Wenzhou	欠, 爭, 空
	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 (guàqiàn)
• 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 (qiànzū)
• 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

• 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] the 欠 element in kanji characters [verb] to yawn Alternative spelling 欠伸

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

References

• “^△欠”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

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)

Zhuang

Verb

欠

1. Sawndip form of hemq