乏 fá poor
poor; lacking; tired
How it came to be
A foot stepping straight at its mark, written backwards to make a new character. Not going straight, not getting there: what is missing, which is what being poor means.
How it is used
- Bound character with two separate senses depending on the compound.
- "Lacking": 缺乏 (quēfá, to lack - formal, pairs with abstract nouns like 缺乏经验 quēfá jīngyàn, lack experience).
- "Tired": 疲乏/乏力 (pífá/fálì, fatigued, weak) - but in everyday speech, tiredness is almost always 累 (lèi), not 乏.