To Be Lacking
To Not Be Present, To Get Chipped
intransitive verb, ichidan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb.
The kanji itself means lack, and this verb has several meanings related to that. It can mean to be lacking, like "imagination is really lacking in this movie." It can also mean to not be present, like when you realize your Japanese teacher is missing. When talking about something like a tea cup or your teeth, it can mean to get chipped. I guess if you chip a teapot it is lacking in...perfection?
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
Something is lacking... it's a car (か). You can't stop thinking about this because you have to walk 40 miles to get to your destination. If only that car wasn't missing, this would be easier. Imagine the sweat... the pain... the thirst... all because that car's not present.
マグカップの口の所が欠けてしまった。
The mouth of the mug is chipped.
夕べの月、少しだけ欠けてましたね。
The moon was a little bit less than full last night.
うちのおじいちゃんは、よくデリカシーに欠ける失礼な事を言います。
My grandpa often says things that are rude and lacking in delicacy.