破产 (pòchǎn) — bankruptcy; to go bankrupt

破产 (pòchǎn)

破产 refers to the legal and financial state in which a person or organization cannot repay its debts and is declared insolvent, also used figuratively to mean the collapse of ideas or plans.

Meanings

1. [verb] to go bankrupt; to become insolvent
2. [noun] bankruptcy; insolvency

Example Sentences

那家零售连锁企业在疫情冲击下宣告破产。 Nà jiā língshòu liànsuǒ qǐyè zài yìqíng chōngjī xià xuāngào pòchǎn. That retail chain declared bankruptcy under the impact of the pandemic.

破产保护申请可以使公司暂时免受债权人追讨。 Pòchǎn bǎohù shēnqǐng kěyǐ shǐ gōngsī zànshí miǎn shòu zhàiquánrén zhuītǎo. A bankruptcy protection application can temporarily shield a company from creditor claims.

许多小企业在创业初期资金不足时面临破产风险。 Xǔduō xiǎo qǐyè zài chuàngyè chūqī zījīn bùzú shí miànlín pòchǎn fēngxiǎn. Many small businesses face bankruptcy risk during the early stages when funding is insufficient.

他的投资计划失败后，整个家庭陷入了破产的困境。 Tā de tóuzī jìhuà shībài hòu, zhěnggè jiātíng xiànrù le pòchǎn de kùnjìng. After his investment plan failed, the whole family fell into the predicament of bankruptcy.

法院批准了该公司的破产重组方案。 Fǎyuàn pīzhǔn le gāi gōngsī de pòchǎn chóngzǔ fāng'àn. The court approved the company's bankruptcy reorganization plan.

这一理论在实践中彻底破产，不再有人相信。 Zhè yī lǐlùn zài shíjiàn zhōng chèdǐ pòchǎn, bù zài yǒu rén xiāngxìn. This theory has completely collapsed in practice; no one believes it anymore.

Collocations

Usage Notes

破产 is both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it can be used as 宣告破产 (to declare bankruptcy) or 申请破产 (to file for bankruptcy). It also has a figurative sense, where it means that an idea, theory, or plan has totally failed: 理想破产 (ideals shattered).

Compare with 倒闭 (dǎobì), which means a business has closed down. 倒闭 can happen for various reasons, while 破产 specifically implies inability to pay debts. They often co-occur: 公司破产倒闭 (the company went bankrupt and closed).

Memory Hook

破 (to break/shatter) + 产 (assets/property) -- your assets are shattered -- bankruptcy.