供不应求
供不应求 (gōng bù yìng qiú) literally means “supply cannot meet demand” and expresses “demand exceeds available supply”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: gong bu ying qiu, gong bu ying qiu,供不应求 meaning, 供不应求 in english
Demand exceeds available supply
Pronunciation: gōng bù yìng qiú Literal meaning: Supply cannot meet demand
Origin & Usage
Han Dynasty economic reports first used this phrase to describe how provision (供) cannot (不) meet (应) demand (求) during grain shortages. Tang Dynasty market theorists expanded it into a broader principle of economic dynamics. The phrase captures that fundamental tension between limited production and unlimited wants that drives market behavior. Today it describes any situation where demand overwhelms available supply.
Examples
English: "The limited production capacity couldn't satisfy the overwhelming market interest"
Chinese: 有限的生产能力无法满足市场的巨大兴趣
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Actions have consequences
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 供不应求 mean in English?
供不应求 (gōng bù yìng qiú) literally translates to “Supply cannot meet demand” and is used to express “Demand exceeds available supply”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 供不应求 used?
Situation: The limited production capacity couldn't satisfy the overwhelming market interest
What is the pinyin for 供不应求?
The pinyin pronunciation for 供不应求 is “gōng bù yìng qiú”.