缺 (quē) is a Chinese character meaning “to lack”. It is written from 缶 (earthenware vessel) and 夬 (a hand pulling apart; splitting open), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to lack”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
缶 + 夬
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 缺，器破也。从缶，決省聲; IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (10 = 6 + 4)
Memory aid
A clay jar (缶) that has split open (夬) now has a piece missing — 缺 means to lack or be short of something.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 缺少quē shǎoto lack; to be short of缺 = quē
- 缺乏quē fáto lack; to be short of缺 = quē
- 缺氧quē yǎnglack of oxygen; oxygen deficiency缺 = quē
Go deeper
All readings
to lack
to lack; to be short of; incomplete; vacancy
不够、短少；残破不完整；空出的职位。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 缺少quē shǎoto lack; to be short of缺 = quē
- 缺乏quē fáto lack; to be short of缺 = quē
- 缺氧quē yǎnglack of oxygen; oxygen deficiency缺 = quē
Sound component
夬 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 缺 mean?
缺 (quē) means to lack; to be short of; incomplete; vacancy.
How do you pronounce 缺?
It is pronounced quē.
What parts is 缺 made of?
缶 (earthenware vessel) and 夬 (a hand pulling apart; splitting open), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 缺，器破也。从缶，決省聲; IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (10 = 6 + 4). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 缺 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 缺?
缶. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 缺?
Common ones are 缺少 and 缺乏. The reading of 缺 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.