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事欠く (ことかく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

事こと欠かく

こ

と

か

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

lack; be short of; be without

Often used in negative constructions like 事欠かない (not lacking) or in the phrase 事欠くことがない (have no shortage of). Slightly formal or literary.

彼かれは生せい活かつに事こと欠かかない。
He doesn't lack for anything in life.
この地ち域いきでは水みずに事こと欠かくことはない

。

In this region, there is no shortage of water.

Written forms

事こと欠かくUsage86%
Standard kanji spelling for this verb.
ことかくUsage14%
Kana spelling is sometimes used in informal writing.

Kanji

事matter, thing, fact
欠lack, gap, fail

Similar words

欠かく
欠く is a transitive verb meaning 'to lack' or 'to chip', while 事欠く is intransitive and specifically means 'to be in want of something'.
不ふ足そくする
不足する is a more common and neutral way to say 'to be insufficient' or 'to run short', while 事欠く has a slightly formal or literary tone.

Etymology

Compound of 事 (こと, 'thing, matter') and 欠く (かく, 'to lack'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely developed as a fixed expression meaning 'to be lacking in things'.