Chinese word

供不应求

Pronunciation

Pinyingōng bù yìng qiú

Meaning

  • idiomin short supply

Example

最近口罩供不应求，药店很难买到。zuì jìn kǒu zhào gōng bú yìng qiú yào diàn hěn nán mǎi dào

Recently, masks have been in short supply, and they are hard to buy at drugstores.

Illustration for 供不应求 (in short supply)

More examples

由于运输受阻，港口附近的部分商品出现供不应求的情况。yóu yú yùn shū shòu zǔ gáng kǒu fù jìn de bù fèn shāng pǐn chū xiàn gōng bú yìng qiú de qíng kuàng

Due to transportation disruptions, some goods near the port were in short supply.

Core concept

The queue of buyers is longer than the shelf of goods.

Common phrases

  • 原材料供不应求yuán cái liào gōng bú yìng qiú

    raw materials in short supply

  • 供不应求的局面gōng bú yìng qiú de jú miàn

    a supply shortage

  • 农产品供不应求nóng chán pǐn gōng bú yìng qiú

    agricultural products in short supply

Similar words

供不应需gōng bù yīng xū: Supply falls short of the amount needed to meet requirements.
一票难求yí piào nán qiú: High demand makes tickets or seats extremely difficult to get.
门庭若市mén tíng ruò shì: Many customers or guests fill a shop or venue, creating a lively scene.
炙手可热zhì shóu kě rè: Strong public interest makes a person or thing highly sought after.

Definition in Chinese

供给不能满足需求，导致市场或商店出现稀缺的情形。gōng jǐ bù néng mǎn zú xū qiú dǎo zhì shì chǎng huò shāng diàn chū xiàn xī quē de qíng xíng

Word origin

The four parts 供 (gōng, "supply") + 不 (bù, "not") + 应 (yìng, "meet") + 求 (qiú, "demand") describe goods that cannot keep pace with what buyers want.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may describe an empty shelf without stating the cause, whereas this idiom points to the pressure created by many buyers competing for limited goods.

Other meanings

  • demand exceeds supplyidiom

Opposites

  • 供过于求gōng guò yú qiúsupply exceeds demandidiom

Word lists with this word