手て薄うす

て

う

す

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

na-adjective, noun

shorthanded; undermanned

Describes a situation where there are not enough people to handle the work or task.

今日きょうはスタッフが手て薄うすで、対たい応おうが遅おくれています。
We are shorthanded today, so responses are delayed.
警けい備びが手て薄うすな時じ間かんを狙ねらって泥どろ棒ぼうが入はいった。
A burglar broke in when security was undermanned.

na-adjective, noun

insufficient; in short supply; low

Used for stock, money, resources, or anything that is lacking in quantity.

資し金きんが手て薄うすで、新しん規き事じ業ぎょうに踏ふみ切きれない。
We can't go ahead with the new project because funds are insufficient.
商しょう品ひんの在ざい庫こが手て薄うすになってきた。
The stock of goods is running low.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の警けい備びが手て薄うすになるfor security at a place to become thin/undermanned
夜や間かんはこのビルの警けい備びが手て薄うすになる。
Security at this building gets thin at night.
〈物もの〉の在ざい庫こが手て薄うすになるfor stock of something to run low
人にん気き商しょう品ひんの在ざい庫こが手て薄うすになっている。
Stock of the popular item is running low.
手て薄うすな〈場ば所しょ〉を狙ねらうto target a poorly guarded/undermanned place
泥どろ棒ぼうは手て薄うすな裏うら口ぐちを狙ねらった。
The burglar targeted the poorly guarded back door.
資し金きんが手て薄うすになるfor funds to become insufficient
プロジェクトの資し金きんが手て薄うすになってきた。
The project's funds are starting to run short.

Kanji

手hand
薄dilute, thin, weak (tea)

Related words

不ふ足そくN3sense 2
不足 is the general word for a shortage of anything, while 手薄 specifically suggests too few people or too little on hand to handle a task properly.
人ひと手で不ぶ足そく sense 1
人手不足 spells out 'labor shortage' explicitly, whereas 手薄 is a shorter, slightly softer way to say a place or team is shorthanded.
欠けつ乏ぼうN1sense 2
欠乏 is a formal, often technical word for a lack of something (like nutrients or funds), while 手薄 is more everyday and often describes staffing or stock running thin.

Opposites

手て厚あつい sense 1
手厚い describes generous, well-staffed or well-provided care (e.g. thick security), the opposite of 手薄, which describes thin, undermanned coverage.
豊ほう富ふN3sense 2
豊富 means abundant or plentiful, the opposite of 手薄 when it describes stock, funds, or resources being low.

Don't confuse with

希き薄はくN1
希薄 shares the kanji 薄 with 手薄 but means 'diluted' or 'thin in concentration/spirit' (as in 希薄な意識), not a shortage of people or goods.

Built from

手て+薄うす

Etymology

Compound of 手 (hand, worker) and 薄 (thin, weak), literally 'thin-handed'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning has been extended from lack of people to lack of resources.