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)

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 () (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
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kieng⁴
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/
Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: kieng⁴
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: kia̍ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰiɛŋ⁴²/
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, 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/
- (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	/kʰɨɐm^H/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰiɐm^H/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰiɐm^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɨam^H/
Li Rong	/kʰiɐm^H/
Wang Li	/kʰĭɐm^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰi̯ɐm^H/
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	‹ khjom^H ›
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
Rime group	談
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime
Old Chinese	/*kʰoms/
Notes	原列梵韻依王韻改釅

Definitions

欠

to lack; to be deficient
to owe
to ask for; to beg for
欠揍 ― qiànzòu ― asking for a beating
(Mandarin) to yawn
(Mandarin) to raise slightly (a part of the body)
(Mandarin, dialectal) to be fidgety and bungling
(Wuhan Mandarin) to miss somebody
(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
Lanyin Mandarin	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
Jin	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)

yawn
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)

lack, shortage
to be absent
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 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))

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

chữ Hán form of khiếm (“lacking”)