缺失
quēshī · HSK 7
lack
🕳️ 缺 lack + 失 lose = what is lacking and lost: a gap or missing piece
缺 means to lack or be short of; 失 means to lose. Together they name the hole left behind: missing parts, gaps and omissions. Sound cue: quēshī starts like the English quit-she, someone who left and is now absent.
缺 — 缶 (jar) + 夬 (phonetic)
Originally a semantic-phonetic compound: the 缶 component depicts an earthenware jar, while 夬 supplies the sound. The character first referred to a broken or chipped pot, then broadened to mean 'lacking,' 'missing,' or 'deficient' in general.