缺乏 (quēfá) means 'lack' or 'shortage' and functions as both a noun and a verb. The character 缺 (quē) means 'to be missing' or 'deficient', while 乏 (fá) means 'to be exhausted' or 'insufficient'. Together, they form a compound that emphasizes an absence or insufficiency of something necessary — often tangible resources like nutrients, time, or money, or intangible qualities like experience or confidence. It is commonly used in formal, written, and spoken contexts, especially in discussions about health, education, economics, and social issues.

This word typically appears before the thing that is lacking (e.g., 缺乏经验 'lack of experience') or with 是...的 for emphasis (e.g., 问题是他缺乏耐心 'The problem is that he lacks patience'). Unlike the more colloquial 没有, 缺乏 carries a slightly formal or analytical tone and often implies a problematic or undesirable gap that needs addressing.