Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== chìzì: 赤字 - Deficit, (in the) Red ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** chìzì, 赤字, Chinese for deficit, red ink, budget deficit, trade deficit, running a deficit in Chinese, what does chizi mean, 赤字是什么意思, financial Chinese, HSK 6 vocabulary. * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese financial term **赤字 (chìzì)**, which directly translates to "deficit" or "in the red." Literally meaning "red characters," this term is used to describe situations where expenses exceed income, from a government's budget deficit to a company's annual loss. This page breaks down the characters, explores its cultural context, and provides numerous practical examples to help you master its usage in formal and economic discussions. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chìzì * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 * **Concise Definition:** A financial deficit, where spending is greater than income. * **In a Nutshell:** **赤字 (chìzì)** is the direct equivalent of the English financial term "deficit." The concept comes from the accounting practice of recording losses or debts in red ink. When a government, company, or even an individual has more expenses than income over a period, they are running a **赤字**. It's a fundamental term in economics and finance. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **赤 (chì):** This character means "red" or "scarlet." It's a different word for red than the more common 红 (hóng). While 红 often implies luck and happiness, 赤 can have a more neutral or even negative connotation, as seen in words like 赤脚 (chìjiǎo - "barefoot") or 赤贫 (chìpín - "utterly poor"). In this context, it specifically refers to the red ink used in accounting. * **字 (zì):** This character simply means "word," "character," or "symbol." * **Combined Meaning:** The two characters combine literally to mean "red characters" or "red figures." This paints a clear and direct picture of an accountant's ledger where the negative numbers—the losses—are written in red. This is a case where the Chinese term's origin is perfectly aligned with international accounting practices. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== The use of red in **赤字 (chìzì)** is a fascinating exception to a major Chinese cultural rule. In most contexts, red—specifically **红 (hóng)**—is the color of luck, joy, prosperity, and celebration. It's the color of wedding dresses, festival decorations, and the lucky envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) given during Chinese New Year. However, the **赤 (chì)** in **赤字 (chìzì)** does not carry this positive symbolism. Its meaning is imported directly from Western accounting conventions, where "being in the red" signifies debt or loss. This is a point of cultural convergence rather than a native Chinese concept. A learner's key takeaway should be to separate the financial context from the general cultural one. * **红 (hóng):** Good fortune, happiness, celebrations (e.g., weddings, New Year). * **赤 (chì) in 赤字:** Financial loss, deficit, debt (a purely economic context). Therefore, while a business might hope for a "red-hot" or prosperous start (开门红, kāiménhóng), it absolutely wants to avoid having a **赤字 (chìzì)** on its balance sheet. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **赤字 (chìzì)** is primarily used in formal, written, and economic contexts. You will encounter it frequently in the news, financial reports, and academic discussions. * **Government and Economics:** This is the most common usage. News reports and government officials constantly discuss the national **财政赤字 (cáizhèng chìzì)** (fiscal/budget deficit) or the **贸易赤字 (màoyì chìzì)** (trade deficit). It is a standard, formal term. * **Corporate Finance:** Companies use **赤字** in their annual reports or financial statements to indicate a loss for a given period. An alternative and more common term in a business context is **亏损 (kuīsǔn)**. * **Personal Finance:** While grammatically correct, it's less common to use **赤字** for personal finances in casual conversation. It sounds overly formal or academic. A person is more likely to say 我这个月钱不够用 (wǒ zhège yuè qián bùgòu yòng - "I don't have enough money this month") or 我没钱了 (wǒ méi qián le - "I'm broke"). However, one might use **赤字** humorously or in a slightly more formal self-assessment, like writing in a journal: "My personal budget is in the red again." ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 政府正在努力减少财政**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zhèngzài nǔlì jiǎnshǎo cáizhèng **chìzì**. * English: The government is working hard to reduce the fiscal deficit. * Analysis: This is a classic, formal example you would read in a newspaper article about national economics. 财政 (cáizhèng) specifies it's a "fiscal" or "budget" deficit. * **Example 2:** * 今年，我们公司的账面上出现了**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Jīnnián, wǒmen gōngsī de zhàngmiàn shàng chūxiàn le **chìzì**. * English: This year, a deficit appeared on our company's books. * Analysis: 账面上 (zhàngmiàn shàng) means "on the books" or "in the accounts," a common collocation with 赤字 in a business context. * **Example 3:** * 长期以来，该国一直存在巨大的贸易**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Chángqī yǐlái, gāi guó yīzhí cúnzài jùdà de màoyì **chìzì**. * English: For a long time, that country has had a huge trade deficit. * Analysis: This demonstrates the use of 贸易 (màoyì) for "trade" to specify the type of deficit. * **Example 4:** * 我们必须想办法弥补这个**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū xiǎng bànfǎ míbǔ zhège **chìzì**. * English: We must find a way to make up for this deficit. * Analysis: 弥补 (míbǔ) is a key verb used with 赤字, meaning "to make up for," "to cover," or "to remedy." * **Example 5:** * 由于意外开支，我的个人预算出现了**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Yóuyú yìwài kāizhī, wǒ de gèrén yùsuàn chūxiàn le **chìzì**. * English: Due to unexpected expenses, my personal budget has a deficit. * Analysis: This is a more formal or reflective way to talk about personal finances. 个人预算 (gèrén yùsuàn) means "personal budget." * **Example 6:** * 持续的**赤字**可能会导致严重的经济问题。 * Pinyin: Chíxù de **chìzì** kěnéng huì dǎozhì yánzhòng de jīngjì wèntí. * English: A continuous deficit could lead to serious economic problems. * Analysis: This sentence treats 赤字 as the subject, showing its role as a key economic indicator. * **Example 7:** * 他们的家庭收支上个月是**赤字**状态。 * Pinyin: Tāmen de jiātíng shōuzhī shàng gè yuè shì **chìzì** zhuàngtài. * English: Their family's income and expenses were in a state of deficit last month. * Analysis: The phrase 赤字状态 (chìzì zhuàngtài) means "a state of deficit." 收支 (shōuzhī) means "income and expenditure." * **Example 8:** * 经济学家对不断增长的**赤字**表示担忧。 * Pinyin: Jīngjì xuéjiā duì bùduàn zēngzhǎng de **chìzì** biǎoshì dānyōu. * English: Economists expressed concern about the growing deficit. * Analysis: This shows how 赤字 is a topic of concern for professionals like economists (经济学家). * **Example 9:** * 增加税收是减少**赤字**的方法之一。 * Pinyin: Zēngjiā shuìshōu shì jiǎnshǎo **chìzì** de fāngfǎ zhī yī. * English: Increasing taxes is one method of reducing the deficit. * Analysis: A sentence structure common in discussions about economic policy. * **Example 10:** * 如果支出超过收入，你就会有**赤字**。 * Pinyin: Rúguǒ zhīchū chāoguò shōurù, nǐ jiù huì yǒu **chìzì**. * English: If expenses exceed income, you will have a deficit. * Analysis: This is a simple, definitional sentence perfect for a learner to understand the core concept. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Don't Confuse with 红 (hóng):** The biggest mistake is to think that because red (红) is lucky, 赤字 must be good. It is not. You cannot say *红字 (hóngzì)* to mean a financial deficit. Stick to **赤字 (chìzì)** for this specific economic meaning. * **Formality Level:** Be mindful that **赤字** is a formal term. Using it in a very casual chat about being out of money can sound a bit stilted or overly dramatic. For "I'm broke," stick to simple phrases like 我没钱了 (wǒ méi qián le). * **False Friend Alert (Deficit):** The English word "deficit" and the Chinese **赤字 (chìzì)** are nearly perfect equivalents in the financial sense. However, English sometimes uses "deficit" more broadly for non-financial shortages (e.g., "an attention deficit," "a moral deficit"). The Chinese term **赤字** is almost exclusively used for financial, budgetary, or trade contexts. For other types of shortages, you would use different words like 缺乏 (quēfá - to lack) or 不足 (bùzú - insufficient). * //Incorrect:// 他有注意力的**赤字**。 (Tā yǒu zhùyìlì de chìzì.) -> This is Chinglish. * //Correct:// 他注意力不集中。 (Tā zhùyìlì bù jízhōng.) - "His attention isn't focused." ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * **[[盈余]] (yíngyú)** - Surplus, profit. This is the direct antonym of 赤字. If income is greater than expenses, you have a 盈余. * **[[亏损]] (kuīsǔn)** - Loss, deficit. A very close synonym, often used in a business context to describe a company losing money. * **[[财政赤字]] (cáizhèng chìzì)** - Fiscal deficit, budget deficit. A more specific term for a government's deficit. * **[[贸易赤字]] (màoyì chìzì)** - Trade deficit. A specific term for when a country's imports exceed its exports. * **[[预算]] (yùsuàn)** - Budget. The plan of income and expenditure that can result in either a 赤字 or a 盈余. * **[[收支]] (shōuzhī)** - Income and expenses. The two components that determine the balance. A common phrase is 收支平衡 (shōuzhī pínghéng), meaning "to break even." * **[[入不敷出]] (rù bù fū chū)** - A chengyu (idiom) that means "income does not cover expenditure." It's a descriptive way of saying there is a deficit. * **[[负债]] (fùzhài)** - Debt, liabilities. A deficit (赤字) is a measure of flow over a period (e.g., a loss of $10,000 this year), while debt (负债) is a measure of stock at a point in time (e.g., total debt of $100,000). Persistent deficits lead to growing debt.