The Meaning of fusoku [不足] In Japanese

不足
ふそく
Romaji: fusoku N4

What does 不足 mean?

Translation and Meaning

insufficiency, shortage, lack

Definition

What does 不足 mean? It designates a state in which something is not enough to meet needs or expectations; used to describe shortages of resources, time, capacity, or supply in daily life and formal contexts.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • insufficiency or shortage of resources, time, money, or supplies
  • deficiency in capacity, skills, or capabilities within a system or organization
  • in nutrition or medicine, a deficiency of a nutrient or vitamin

Composition

  • 不: negation or ‘not’
  • 足: foot or ‘enough’; here contributes the sense of sufficiency or lack
  • Overall: together they form a compound meaning ‘not enough’ or ‘shortage’

Usage

Used as a noun in both formal and everyday speech to indicate a shortfall; common in business, economics, education, and government contexts; often appears in compounds such as 不足する, 不足分, 不足感, and in phrases describing needs not being met.
💡 Tips
A mnemonic: imagine 不 blocking 足, i.e., not enough feet to stand in line, which helps recall that 不足 expresses insufficiency.

Variations

  • 欠乏 (kettou): deficiency
  • 充足 (juusoku): sufficiency
  • 不十分 (fujūbun): insufficient
  • 不足感 (fusokukan): sense of insufficiency

Example Phrases

  • 今週は食料が不足しているので、食料品を買い足した。
    Konshū wa shokuryō ga fusoku shite iru node, shokuryōhin o kai-tashita.
    This week there is a food shortage, so I bought more groceries.
    Lista:
    • 今週は (konshū wa) – this week
    • 食料が (shokuryō ga) – food
    • 不足している (fusoku shite iru) – is in short supply
    • ので (node) – so
    • 食料品を (shokuryōhin o) – groceries
    • 買い足した (kai-tashita) – bought more
    The noun 「不足」 appears in 食料が不足している to express a shortage; the phrase shows an ongoing state, and ので connects the cause to the action.
不足