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Referring to a deficit with 赤字 (chìzì)
Structure
Noun + 赤字
Explanation
赤字 (chìzì) means "deficit" and refers to the amount by which spending exceeds income or revenue. It literally translates to "red characters," reflecting the accounting convention of recording losses in red ink. It is most commonly used in financial and governmental contexts, such as 财政赤字 (fiscal deficit).
Examples
今年的财政赤字比去年增加了不少。
Jīnnián de cáizhèng chìzì bǐ qùnián zēngjiā le bù shǎo.
This year's fiscal deficit has increased considerably compared to last year.
公司连续三年出现赤字，情况很不乐观。
Gōngsī liánxù sān nián chūxiàn chìzì, qíngkuàng hěn bù lèguān.
The company has had deficits for three consecutive years, and the situation is not optimistic.
减少赤字是政府目前最重要的任务之一。
Jiǎnshǎo chìzì shì zhèngfǔ mùqián zuì zhòngyào de rènwu zhī yī.
Reducing the deficit is one of the government's most important tasks at present.