What does 不足 mean in Chinese?

不足 (bù zú) means "insufficient; lacking; deficiency; not enough; inadequate; not worth; cannot; should not" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 5.

How do you pronounce 不足?

不足 is pronounced "bù zú" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 2 syllables.

What HSK level is 不足?

不足 is an HSK 5 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 5 on both the old and the new exam.

What characters make up 不足?

不足 is made up of the characters 不, 足. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 不足?

You can practice writing 不足 using our stroke order tool.

不足 (bù zú), insufficient

不足

bù zú

insufficient; lacking; deficiency; not enough

HSK 5

Characters in This Word

不足

Definitions

insufficient
lacking
deficiency
not enough
inadequate
not worth
cannot
should not

Example Sentences

这个计划还有很多不足之处。

Zhège jìhuà hái yǒu hěn duō bùzú zhī chù

This plan still has many shortcomings

Related Words

不够(bù gòu)· not enough

→

贫乏(pín fá)· impoverished

→

是可忍，孰不可忍(shì kě rěn , shú bù kě rěn)· if this can be tolerated, what cannot? (idiom)

→

一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴(yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn , cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn)· lit. An interval of time is worth an ounce of gold, money cannot buy you time. (idiom)

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 5
HSK 2.0: HSK 5
HSK Lord study list: HSK 5 list

不足: HSK 5 on both the old and the new exam. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 5 exam

Studying for HSK 5? Keep 不足 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each word comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 5 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.