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亏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
亏kuīdeficiencyHSK 5, v, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
亏kuīdeficitHSK 5, v, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
亏kuīluckilyHSK 5, v, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
亏kuīto lose, to fail; loss, damages; deficientHSK 5, v, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
亏kuīit's lucky that...HSK 5, unknown, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
亏kuī(often ironically) fancy that...HSK 5, unknown, 3 strokes, radical 二, rank #10404, Hard
kuī(kui1) T1
  1. 1deficiency
  2. 2deficit
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
亏(虧)kuī(kui1)

The character 亏 (kuī) primarily means 'to lose' or 'to suffer a loss.' It is often used in contexts related to financial deficits, but can also imply a deficiency or shortfall in other areas. In some contexts, it can convey a sense of irony, as in acknowledging a fortunate outcome despite a loss.

Strokes3Radical二Frequency#10404DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussing financial losses openly can be somewhat taboo, as it reflects on one's personal management skills. The character 亏 may also appear in idiomatic expressions that highlight the irony of a situation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'key' (sounds like 'kuī') that unlocks a treasure chest, but when you open it, you find it empty—this represents a loss or deficiency. The character 亏 features a 'mountain' (山) under 'deficient' (亻), suggesting a loss of resources or support.

Meanings of 亏

kuī(kui1)
1deficiency
2deficit
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 亏

亏Simplified
虧Traditional
3Strokes
二Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10404Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 亏

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Podcast: 亏

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AI Study Notes for 亏

Quick Contrast

亏 (kuī) vs 损 (sǔn) — use 亏 when emphasizing personal loss or deficiency; use 损 when referring to damage or harm to something.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'key' (sounds like 'kuī') that unlocks a treasure chest, but when you open it, you find it empty—this represents a loss or deficiency. The character 亏 features a 'mountain' (山) under 'deficient' (亻), suggesting a loss of resources or support.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone, as 亏 has a falling tone (kuī), which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, especially when discussing finances. Common collocations include 亏损 (kuīsǔn - deficit) and 亏欠 (kuīqiàn - owe a debt).

HSK Study Tips

While 亏 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is useful for understanding financial discussions. Students should focus on its usage in expressing loss and deficiency, connecting it with other financial terms like 利润 (lìrùn - profit) and 盈余 (yíngyú - surplus).

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, discussing financial losses openly can be somewhat taboo, as it reflects on one's personal management skills. The character 亏 may also appear in idiomatic expressions that highlight the irony of a situation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 亏 with similar characters like 虧 (also pronounced kuī), which can lead to incorrect meanings. For example, saying '我亏了很多食物' (Wǒ kuī le hěn duō shíwù) instead of using a more appropriate term for food loss can sound awkward.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 亏

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Etymology of 亏

Learn more about character formation (六书)

Decomposition of 亏

IDS Structure⿱二？
亏Full Character
=
二er4
top
Exercise 1 of 1

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 亏?

Write 亏

亏

Practice writing 亏 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 亏

亏 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

幸____你回来得早，不然我就不知道怎么办才好了。

Fortunately you came back early, otherwise I would not have known what to do.

Common Confusions with 亏

亏vs溃
kuì

Similar in sound but refers to a different concept.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "deficiency"?

or

Usage Notes for 亏

Usage of 亏 in sentencesGrammar Tip

亏 can indicate a sense of irony or luck, often used in situations where something unexpected happens.

1

亏我提前准备了。

Luckily, I prepared in advance.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

____我提前准备了。

Luckily, I prepared in advance.

Example Sentences for 亏 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这家航空公司亏损达3,500万美元，而澳航出资帮助其摆脱了困境。

zhè jiā háng kōng gōng sī kuī sǔn dá3,500 3,500 wàn měi， yuán ， ér ào háng chū zī bāng zhù qí bǎi tuō le。

The airline had losses of $35m and was bailed out by Qantas.
2
多亏一块1/4英寸厚的防弹钢板，他才捡了条命。

duō kuī yī kuài1/4 1/4 yīng cùn hòu de fáng dàn gāng， bǎn ， tā cái jiǎn le。

His life was saved by a quarter-inch-thick bullet-proof steel screen.
3
其中一些人质得以获释多亏了杰西·杰克逊。

qí zhōng yī xiē rén zhì dé yǐ huò shì duō kuī le jié xī· · jié kè。

Jesse Jackson was instrumental in the release of some of the hostages.
4
1986年，路虎亏损9亿英镑。

1986 1986， nián ， lù hǔ9 kuī sǔn 9。

In 1986 Rover made a loss of nine hundred million pounds.
5
这本枯燥乏味的书幸亏加了一些精彩的插图才变得生动有趣.

zhè běn kū zào fá wèi de shū xìng kuī jiā le yī xiē jīng cǎi de chā tú cái biàn dé shēng dòng yǒu qù.

The otherwise dreary book is enlivened by some very amusing illustrations.
6
我做这生意亏了本.

wǒ zuò zhè shēng yì kuī le běn.

I have lost money by the business.
7
多亏了她还有一只手空着才没让自己倒下去。

duō kuī le tā huán yǒu yī zhī shǒu kōng zháo cái méi ràng zì jǐ dǎo xià qù。

She checked her fall with her free arm.
8
饭菜而外,她还得吃零食, 肚子越显形,她就觉得越须多吃好东西;不能亏着嘴.

fàn cài ér wài, , tā huán dé chī líng, shí , dù zǐ yuè, xiǎn xíng , tā jiù jué dé yuè xū duō chī; hǎo dōng xī ; bù.

Aside from meals, Tigress had to eat between them.
9
幸亏你带了伞, 开始下雨了.

xìng kuī nǐ dài le sǎn, , kāi shǐ xià yǔ.

It's a good job you brought your brolly, it's starting to rain.
10
这场比赛本该是他赢的—真是功亏一篑。

zhè cháng bǐ sài běn gāi shì tā yíng de— — zhēn shì gōng kuī yī。

He should have won the match—it was a near miss.

Cultural Notes for 亏

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, discussing financial losses openly can be somewhat taboo, as it reflects on one's personal management skills. The character 亏 may also appear in idiomatic expressions that highlight the irony of a situation.

Word Family of 亏

Compounds13
夸kua1see 夸克[kuā kè]
污wu1variant of 污[wū]
肟wo4oxime, oximide, -oxil
圬wu1to whitewash, to plaster over with mud
咢e4onomatopoetic, a drumming sound
杇
雩yu2to offer a sacrifice for rain
扝
疞
芌
蕚
迃
釫
Words Containing This Character20
多亏duōkuīthanks to多虧
亏损kuīsǔndeficit虧損
亏kuīdeficit虧
幸亏xìngkuīfortunately幸虧
吃亏chīkuīto suffer losses吃虧
亏欠deficit虧欠
亏本kuīběnto make a loss虧本
亏待kuīdàito treat sb unfairly虧待
功亏一篑to fail through lack of a final effort功虧一簣
盈亏profit and loss盈虧
扭亏to reverse a loss扭虧
亏空in debt虧空
自负盈亏financially autonomous自負盈虧
亏得fortunately虧得
亏心事shameful deed虧心事
理亏in the wrong理虧
吃大亏to cost one dearly吃大虧
哑巴亏pent-up unspoken grievances啞巴虧
血亏anemia血虧
得亏luckily得虧
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 夸 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 亏

You might say '我亏了很多钱' (Wǒ kuī le hěn duō qián) meaning 'I lost a lot of money.'