萧条

• Pinyin: xiāo tiáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 萧 = 艹 + 肃 (sparse vegetation + solemnity); 条 = 夂 + 木 (slender branch — thin and sparse)

Meaning

Bleak; depressed; in a state of economic recession or desolate quietness.

Used to describe both economic downturns (经济萧条) and scenes of desolation and emptiness. In literary contexts it conveys a mood of bleak stillness. In economic contexts it corresponds directly to 'recession' or 'depression'.

Examples

1. 金融危机之后，该地区的经济一度陷入严重的萧条状态，失业率急剧攀升。 After the financial crisis, the region’s economy fell into a severe recession for a time, and unemployment soared.
2. 冬日的古镇显得格外萧条，游客寥寥，街道冷清而寂静。 In winter, the old town looks especially desolate—few visitors, and the streets are quiet and still.
3. 全球需求下滑导致制造业持续萧条，工厂纷纷削减产能。 A drop in global demand has kept manufacturing in a prolonged slump, and factories have been cutting capacity.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, literature, current affairs

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 受外部需求萎缩影响，本季度出口额大幅下降，行业整体陷入萧条。(Affected by shrinking external demand, export volumes fell sharply this quarter, pushing the entire sector into recession.)
• 昔日繁华的矿业小镇在资源枯竭后日益萧条，人口大量外流。(Once a thriving mining town, the area grew increasingly desolate after its resources were exhausted, with large numbers of people leaving.)

Don't Say

• 他今天感觉萧条 — use 消沉 or 情绪低落 for a person's low mood; 萧条 describes economic conditions or scenic desolation, not individual emotions

Origin & History

萧 (desolate/sparse grass/wind sound) + 条 (slender strip — thinness/sparse) — sparse and bleak

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal