不足します（ふそくします、fusokushimasu）
- to lack

The Japanese verb 不足します (ふそくします) means "to be insufficient," "to lack," "to be short of," or "to be inadequate." It describes a situation where something is not enough or is missing. It implies a deficiency or a shortage of something. It is a formal and polite verb. It's often used when referring to resources, quantities, time, or ability. The verb 不足します is the polite, -masu form of the verb.

⚫︎食料が不足します。 Translation: The food is insufficient. ⚫︎時間が不足しますから、急ぎましょう。 Translation: Because time is short, let's hurry. ⚫︎資金が不足します。 Translation: Funds are lacking.

⚫︎不足します is used in formal situations and when speaking politely. ⚫︎It's used to describe a lack of something, often quantifiable, such as money, time, or supplies. ⚫︎You can use it to explain a deficiency in resources or capabilities. ⚫︎Use it in formal business settings, official reports, or polite conversations. ⚫︎Conjugations include 不足します (masu-form), 不足しました (past tense, polite), 不足しません (negative, polite), 不足する (plain form).

⚫︎The word is typically written as 不足します with the kanji 不足 and the hiragana suffix します. ⚫︎不足 is the noun and adjective stem, meaning "insufficiency" or "lack." ⚫︎Other forms of the verb include the plain form 不足する. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) is always します.

⚫︎足りない (たりない): To be insufficient, not enough (more casual). ⚫︎欠ける (かける): To be lacking, to be missing (can imply a more significant absence). ⚫︎足りないです: To be insufficient, not enough (polite casual). ⚫︎欠乏する (けつぼうする): To be deficient, lacking (more formal).

⚫︎十分です (じゅうぶんです): To be sufficient, enough. ⚫︎足りる (たりる): To be enough, to suffice (plain form). ⚫︎あります (あります): To have, to exist (used when something is present). ⚫︎十分にある (じゅうぶんに ある): To have enough of something.

このプロジェクトには、予算が不足します。 ・Translation: The budget for this project is insufficient. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights a lack of funds necessary for a project to succeed. The verb 不足します indicates that the allocated budget is not enough.

私の日本語の能力はまだ不足します。 ・Translation: My Japanese language ability is still insufficient. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses that one's Japanese language skills are not yet at the desired level or proficiency. 不足します is used to describe a shortcoming in one's skills.

The word 不足 is a combination of two kanji: ⚫︎不 (fu or bu): meaning "not" or "un-". ⚫︎足 (soku): meaning "foot," but in this context, it implies "to be enough" or "sufficiency". ⚫︎Thus, 不足 literally means "not enough" or "insufficiency." The します is the verb-making suffix.