赤字 chìzì deficit
(financial) deficit; red letter
How to remember 赤字: 赤 red + 字 character = deficit.
Characters
How it is used
- A (financial) deficit - 财政赤字 (cáizhèng chìzì) a fiscal deficit; 贸易赤字 (màoyì chìzì) a trade deficit.
- From red ink for losses; 赤 (red) + 字 (figures). Economic register.
- Opposite of 盈余 (yíngyú, surplus) or 顺差 (shùnchā, trade surplus) - 财政盈余 (cáizhèng yíngyú) a budget surplus.
Example sentences
- 我们去年遇到了赤字。 Wǒmen qùnián yùdào le chìzì.We went into the red last year.