赤字

• Pinyin: chì zì
• Hanzi breakdown: 赤 = red (bare); 字 = character/number. Red numbers indicating loss.

Meaning

Deficit; red ink; negative balance. A financial term for expenses exceeding income.

Primarily used in economics and finance for budget deficits, trade deficits, etc. The 'red' (赤) refers to the accounting convention of writing losses in red ink.

Examples

1. 政府今年的财政赤字达到了历史新高。 The government's fiscal deficit this year has reached a historic high.
2. 公司连续三年出现赤字，面临破产风险。 The company has been in the red for three consecutive years and faces the risk of bankruptcy.
3. 贸易赤字持续扩大，引起了经济学家的担忧。 The widening trade deficit has raised concerns among economists.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, finance, business

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 削减开支可以减少财政赤字。(Cutting spending can reduce the fiscal deficit.)
• 今年的贸易赤字比去年减少了。(This year's trade deficit is smaller than last year's.)

Don't Say

• 我个人有赤字 (For personal finances, use 亏损 or 负债; 赤字 is for national/corporate scale)

Origin & History

Compound of 赤 (red) and 字 (character/number). From the accounting practice of recording deficits in red ink.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal