Translation guide
This entry covers how to express the idea of a general shortage or scarcity of goods in Japanese, from formal economic terms to everyday expressions.
To describe a situation where goods are in short supply, often due to economic factors, disasters, or high demand.
A common, neutral term for a shortage of goods. Suitable for both spoken and written contexts.
To refer to the fundamental economic problem of limited resources versus unlimited wants.
品不足 (しなぶそく) and 物不足 (ものぶそく) are often interchangeable, but 品不足 is slightly more formal and common in written language, while 物不足 is more conversational. Both mean a general shortage of goods.
不足 can be attached to many nouns to indicate a shortage of that thing, e.g., 水不足 (water shortage), 人手不足 (labor shortage). This is a productive pattern.
災害の後、品不足が続いている。
After the disaster, a scarcity of goods continues.
Similar to 品不足, but slightly more colloquial. Often used in everyday conversation.
戦時中は物不足で大変だった。
During the war, there was a severe scarcity of goods.
Refers to a shortage of supplies or materials, often used in news reports or formal contexts.
物資不足が深刻化している。
The scarcity of goods is becoming serious.
A formal or technical term for scarcity or deficiency. Often used in economic or academic contexts.
物資の欠乏が経済に影響を与えた。
The scarcity of goods affected the economy.
The standard economic term for scarcity. Used in academic and business contexts.
経済学では希少性が重要な概念だ。
In economics, scarcity is an important concept.
Literally 'shortage of resources', used to describe scarcity in a broader sense.
資源の不足が問題になっている。
Scarcity of resources is becoming a problem.