Chinese word

不景气

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù jǐng qì

Meaning

  • adjectivesluggish

Example

因为不景气，公司不得不裁员。yīn wèi bù jǐng qì gōng sī bù dé bù cái yuán

Because business is sluggish, the company has had to lay off employees.

Illustration for 不景气 (sluggish)

More examples

经济不景气，出口减少。jīng jì bù jǐng qì chū kǒu jián shǎo

The economy is sluggish, and exports have decreased.

Core concept

A business climate with too little demand to keep sales, jobs, and profits moving normally.

Common phrases

  • 经济不景气jīng jì bù jǐng qì

    sluggish economy

  • 市场不景气shì chǎng bù jǐng qì

    sluggish market

  • 消费不景气xiāo fèi bù jǐng qì

    sluggish consumer spending

Similar words

低迷dī mí: A prolonged state in which business results or demand remain weak without recovering.
疲软pí ruǎn: A weak state in which demand or prices fall and economic momentum loses strength.
萧条xiāo tiáo: A depressed state in which markets or streets are quiet and business activity is limited.
冷清lěng qīng: A quiet state in which few people or customers are present in shops or streets.

Definition in Chinese

表示经济、商贸等领域处于低迷状态，需求不足、就业或盈利下降。biǎo shì jīng jì shāng mào děng lǐng yù chǔ yú dī mí zhuàng tài xū qiú bù zú jiù yè huò yíng lì xià jiàng

Word origin

不景气 (bùjǐngqì, "sluggish") combines 不 (bù, "not") with 景气 (jǐngqì, "prosperous conditions"), so it pictures a loss of economic vitality.

Usage tips

  • For English-speaking learners, this word usually points to a broad market or business slowdown, not simply a person's lack of energy.

Other meanings

  • economic slumpnoun
  • recessionnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word