供不应求
- Literal
- supply does not meet demand
- Figurative
- Demand far outstrips supply: there isn't enough of something to go around for everyone who wants it.
Where does 供不应求 come from?
There is no story behind it that we know of: it is a modern written formula built from two economic terms, 供 ("supply") and 求 ("demand"), joined by the negation 不应 ("does not answer to"). It reads literally, with no metaphor, which is what makes it so transparent. Today it is standard in business news and in the talk of shops and factories, and it also gets used jokingly about small things, like the dish that sells out in the cafeteria.
How is 供不应求 used? Two examples
- 新款手机一上市就供不应求，得等两个月。
The new phone sold out as soon as it launched — supply can't keep up and there's a two-month wait.
- 这几年养老院床位供不应求。
In recent years, nursing home beds haven't come close to meeting demand.
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