僧多粥少 sēng duō zhōu shǎo

fig. not enough to go around; demand exceeds supply

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 59232nd word

Definitions

  1. 1. fig. not enough to go around
  2. 2. demand exceeds supply
  3. 3. lit. many monks and not much gruel (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
僧 sēng
monk; Sangha, the Buddhist monastic order
多 duō HSK 1
many; a lot of; numerous
粥 zhōu HSK 6
congee; porridge; gruel
少 shǎo HSK 1
few; less; to lack