What does 缺一不可 mean?

缺一不可 (quē yī bù kě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “None can be dispensed with”.

How do you pronounce 缺一不可?

缺一不可 is pronounced quē yī bù kě in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 缺一不可 literally mean?

Literally, 缺一不可 means “not one can be missing/lacking”. It is used to mean “None can be dispensed with”.

Where does 缺一不可 come from?

缺一不可 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

缺一不可 — “None can be dispensed with”

缺一不可 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “None can be dispensed with”. All are essential. Absolutely necessary; indispensable. Literally, “Not one can be missing/lacking”.

Frequency

缺一不可 Pronunciation and Pinyin

缺quē
一yī
不bù
可kě

缺一不可 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
缺	quē	10	lack, be short of, be absent
一	yī	1	one, a, single, whole
不	bù	4	not
可	kě	5	can, may, suitable

Example Sentence with 缺一不可

完成这个复杂项目需要团队合作、充足的资金和先进的技术，这三者缺一不可。

To complete this complex project, teamwork, sufficient funding, and advanced technology are all indispensable; not a single one can be omitted.

Origin and Story of 缺一不可

The hero Lin Chong of Liangshan, seeing that Wang Lun could not tolerate Chao Gai and his seven sworn brothers, killed Wang Lun. Everyone then elected Chao Gai as their leader. Wu Yong became the military strategist, ranked second.

Lin Chong then recommended Gongsun Sheng to command the military, saying: "To defeat the enemy and achieve victory this time, who can match your excellent strategies, Master Gongsun? It is just like a tripod needing three legs; not a single one can be missing. You must not decline, Master Gongsun."

Gongsun Sheng was ranked third, and Lin Chong fourth.

Idioms Related to 缺一不可

Synonyms of 缺一不可

bì必bù不kě可shǎo少absolutely essential

Antonyms of 缺一不可

kě可yǒu有kě可wú无dispensable or optional

More idioms starting with 缺

Questions about 缺一不可

What does 缺一不可 mean?: 缺一不可 (quē yī bù kě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “None can be dispensed with”.
How do you pronounce 缺一不可?: 缺一不可 is pronounced quē yī bù kě in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 缺一不可 literally mean?: Literally, 缺一不可 means “not one can be missing/lacking”. It is used to mean “None can be dispensed with”.
Where does 缺一不可 come from?: 缺一不可 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 缺一不可?: 少一样也不行。

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