When a business or organization spends more money than it earns, it is in a state of financial deficit or loss. In Korean, this situation is described as 적자이다. Think of it like this: if you have 10 dollars but spend 12 dollars, you have a deficit of 2 dollars. So, when a company is experiencing 적자이다, it means they are losing money.
§ Understanding 적자이다
Alright, let's break down 적자이다. This Korean word is an adjective that means 'to be in a state of financial deficit or loss,' or simply 'to be in the red.' It's a very practical term to know, especially when talking about business, personal finance, or even just when a project isn't going well financially.
Think of it this way: if your spending is more than your income, you're in 적자 (a deficit), and the state of being in that deficit is 적자이다.
§ Basic Sentence Structure with 적자이다
Since 적자이다 is an adjective, it will often follow a subject to describe its financial state. The most common structure is: Subject + (은/는) + 적자이다.
- Subject Marker
- Use 은 if the subject ends with a consonant, and 는 if it ends with a vowel.
우리 회사는 지금 적자이다. (Our company is currently in the red.)
그 가게는 계속 적자이다. (That store is continuously in deficit.)
§ Conjugating 적자이다
Like all Korean adjectives, 적자이다 can be conjugated to fit different tenses and politeness levels. Here are some common ones:
- Present Tense (Formal Polite): 적자입니다
- Present Tense (Standard Polite): 적자예요
- Past Tense (Standard Polite): 적자였어요
- Future Tense (Standard Polite): 적자일 거예요
- Example: Present Formal
- 저희 사업은 현재 적자입니다. (Our business is currently in deficit.)
- Example: Present Standard
- 이번 달은 저희 가게가 적자예요. (Our store is in the red this month.)
작년에 그 회사는 적자였어요. (That company was in deficit last year.)
이대로 가면 다음 달도 적자일 거예요. (If it continues like this, next month will also be in the red.)
§ Using with specific amounts or reasons
You can also specify the amount of the deficit or the reason for it. This often involves using particles like 으로 (as, by) or simply stating the amount before 적자이다.
우리는 백만원 적자이다. (We are in deficit by 1 million won.)
이번 프로젝트는 비용 초과로 적자이다. (This project is in the red due to cost overruns.)
§ Common Phrases and Usage
적자이다 is often used in discussions about financial health. Here are a few more common ways you'll hear or see it used:
- 적자를 면하다: to avoid a deficit
- 적자를 기록하다: to record a deficit (to be in deficit officially)
- 계속 적자이다: to continuously be in deficit
우리는 이번 분기에 적자를 면했다. (We avoided a deficit this quarter.)
그 회사는 5년 연속 적자를 기록했다. (That company recorded a deficit for 5 consecutive years.)
만약 이대로 가면 우리 회사는 계속 적자일 것이다. (If we continue like this, our company will continuously be in deficit.)
Guide de prononciation
- mispronouncing the 'ㅈ' as 'j' instead of 'ch'
- not aspirating the 'ㅊ' sound correctly
- failing to differentiate between 'ㅏ' and 'ㅓ' sounds
Exemples par niveau
우리 회사는 지난 분기에 심각한 적자이다.
Our company was in a serious deficit last quarter.
이 프로젝트는 시작부터 적자이다.
This project has been in deficit from the start.
계속되는 적자이다 보니 구조조정이 불가피해졌다.
Due to the continuous deficit, restructuring became unavoidable.
정부가 이렇게 많은 적자이다 보니 예산안 통과가 어렵다.
Since the government is in such a large deficit, passing the budget bill is difficult.
새로 시작한 사업이 벌써 적자이다.
The new business is already in deficit.
만약 당신의 사업이 여전히 적자이다면, 전략을 재고해야 할 때입니다.
If your business is still in deficit, it's time to reconsider your strategy.
이 부서는 몇 년째 적자이다.
This department has been in deficit for several years.
수익성 없는 투자는 결국 회사를 적자이다로 만들었다.
Unprofitable investments eventually put the company in deficit.
Souvent confondu avec
This is the opposite of '적자이다,' meaning 'to be in surplus' or 'in the black.'
This refers to 'break-even' or 'balancing income and expenses,' which is the goal to avoid being in 적자.
This means 'financial difficulty,' a broader term that can include being in a deficit.
Expressions idiomatiques
"적자를 면하다"
To avoid a deficit; to break even.
우리 회사는 올해 간신히 적자를 면했어요. (Our company barely avoided a deficit this year.)
neutral"적자 폭을 줄이다"
To reduce the deficit gap.
정부는 적자 폭을 줄이기 위해 노력하고 있습니다. (The government is working to reduce the deficit.)
neutral"만년 적자"
Always in deficit; chronic deficit.
그 사업은 만년 적자에 시달리고 있어요. (That business suffers from a chronic deficit.)
neutral"적자로 돌아서다"
To turn into a deficit (from a profit).
지난 분기에 회사의 실적이 적자로 돌아섰습니다. (The company's performance turned into a deficit last quarter.)
neutral"대규모 적자"
Large-scale deficit.
예상치 못한 대규모 적자가 발생했어요. (An unexpected large-scale deficit occurred.)
neutral"누적 적자"
Accumulated deficit.
그 프로젝트는 누적 적자가 심각합니다. (That project has a serious accumulated deficit.)
neutral"적자 경영"
Deficit management.
오랫동안 적자 경영에 허덕이고 있습니다. (We have been struggling with deficit management for a long time.)
neutral"적자가 나다"
To incur a deficit.
이번 달에 식당에서 적자가 났어요. (The restaurant incurred a deficit this month.)
neutral"적자를 기록하다"
To record a deficit.
회사는 3년 연속 적자를 기록했습니다. (The company recorded a deficit for three consecutive years.)
neutral"적자투성이"
Full of deficits; riddled with deficits.
그 부서는 적자투성이라 개선이 시급해요. (That department is riddled with deficits, so improvement is urgent.)
informalFacile à confondre
'손해이다' means 'to be a loss' in a general sense, while '적자이다' specifically refers to financial deficit.
적자이다 (financial deficit) vs. 손해이다 (general loss)
이 사업은 계속 손해이다. (This business continues to be a loss.)
'부족하다' means 'to be insufficient' or 'lacking,' which can sometimes imply a deficit, but it's not exclusively financial.
적자이다 (financial deficit) vs. 부족하다 (insufficient/lacking)
시간이 부족하다. (Time is insufficient.)
Similar to '부족하다,' '모자라다' also means 'to be insufficient' or 'not enough,' and can be used in non-financial contexts.
적자이다 (financial deficit) vs. 모자라다 (not enough)
돈이 모자라다. (Not enough money.)
While '마이너스이다' literally means 'to be in the negative,' it's a more direct translation of 'minus' and less idiomatic for a financial deficit than '적자이다.'
적자이다 (financial deficit) vs. 마이너스이다 (to be in the negative)
성적이 마이너스이다. (My grades are in the negative.)
'빚지다' means 'to owe money' or 'to be in debt,' which is related to financial issues but not the same as being in a deficit.
적자이다 (financial deficit) vs. 빚지다 (to owe money/be in debt)
그는 나에게 빚졌다. (He owes me money.)
Teste-toi 24 questions
Imagine your small business is facing financial difficulties. Write a short journal entry explaining what happened and how you feel about the situation, using '적자이다'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
오늘 우리 사업이 적자이다는 소식을 들었어요. 정말 힘든 한 달이었고, 앞으로 어떻게 해야 할지 걱정이 많아요. 직원들에게도 미안하고, 이 상황을 빨리 극복하고 싶어요. (Today, I heard that our business is in the red. It's been a really tough month, and I'm very worried about what to do next. I feel bad for the employees, and I want to overcome this situation quickly.)
Write a short email to a business partner explaining that your company is currently in a deficit and proposing a plan to recover, using '적자이다'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
안녕하세요, [파트너 이름]님. 저희 회사가 현재 적자이다는 소식을 전하게 되어 유감입니다. 하지만 저희는 이 상황을 회복하기 위한 새로운 계획을 가지고 있습니다. 곧 자세한 내용을 말씀드리겠습니다. (Hello, [Partner Name]. I regret to inform you that our company is currently in the red. However, we have a new plan to recover from this situation. We will tell you the details soon.)
You are a financial analyst. Write a brief report summary about a company's financial status, indicating if it is in a deficit or not, using '적자이다'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
최근 분석 결과, [회사 이름]은 현재 적자이다는 것으로 나타났습니다. 이는 예상보다 낮은 매출과 높은 운영 비용 때문입니다. (Recent analysis shows that [Company Name] is currently in the red. This is due to lower-than-expected sales and high operating costs.)
위 글에서 언급된 '적자이다'의 원인이 아닌 것은 무엇입니까? (What is NOT a cause of '적자이다' mentioned in the passage?)
Read this passage:
최근 글로벌 경제 침체로 인해 많은 기업들이 어려움을 겪고 있습니다. 특히, 수출에 의존하는 기업들은 환율 변동으로 인해 더욱 큰 타격을 받았습니다. 대부분의 기업들이 작년에 비해 실적이 좋지 않으며, 일부 기업들은 현재 적자이다는 보고가 이어지고 있습니다. (Due to the recent global economic downturn, many companies are facing difficulties. In particular, companies that rely on exports have been hit even harder by exchange rate fluctuations. Most companies are performing worse than last year, and reports continue to emerge that some companies are currently in deficit.)
위 글에서 언급된 '적자이다'의 원인이 아닌 것은 무엇입니까? (What is NOT a cause of '적자이다' mentioned in the passage?)
본문에서는 글로벌 경제 침체, 환율 변동, 수출 의존 기업들이 적자의 원인으로 언급되었지만, 직원 복지 향상은 언급되지 않았습니다. (The passage mentioned the global economic downturn, exchange rate fluctuations, and export-dependent companies as causes of the deficit, but did not mention improvements in employee welfare.)
본문에서는 글로벌 경제 침체, 환율 변동, 수출 의존 기업들이 적자의 원인으로 언급되었지만, 직원 복지 향상은 언급되지 않았습니다. (The passage mentioned the global economic downturn, exchange rate fluctuations, and export-dependent companies as causes of the deficit, but did not mention improvements in employee welfare.)
김민수 씨의 카페가 '적자이다'는 사실을 알게 된 주된 원인은 무엇입니까? (What was the main reason Mr. Kim Min-su's cafe was found to be 'in deficit'?)
Read this passage:
김민수 씨는 작은 카페를 운영하고 있습니다. 그는 지난 몇 달 동안 매출 부진으로 인해 재정적인 어려움을 겪고 있었습니다. 특히 지난달에는 임대료와 재료비가 급증하여 그의 카페는 적자이다는 사실을 알게 되었습니다. 그는 이 상황을 개선하기 위해 새로운 메뉴를 개발하고 마케팅 전략을 변경하기로 결심했습니다. (Mr. Kim Min-su runs a small cafe. He had been experiencing financial difficulties due to poor sales over the past few months. In particular, last month, his rent and ingredient costs soared, and he realized that his cafe was in deficit. He decided to develop new menus and change his marketing strategy to improve this situation.)
김민수 씨의 카페가 '적자이다'는 사실을 알게 된 주된 원인은 무엇입니까? (What was the main reason Mr. Kim Min-su's cafe was found to be 'in deficit'?)
본문에서 김민수 씨의 카페가 적자이다는 사실을 알게 된 주된 원인은 임대료와 재료비의 급증이라고 명시되어 있습니다. (The passage explicitly states that the main reason Mr. Kim Min-su's cafe was found to be in deficit was the soaring rent and ingredient costs.)
본문에서 김민수 씨의 카페가 적자이다는 사실을 알게 된 주된 원인은 임대료와 재료비의 급증이라고 명시되어 있습니다. (The passage explicitly states that the main reason Mr. Kim Min-su's cafe was found to be in deficit was the soaring rent and ingredient costs.)
정부 통계에 따르면 올해 '적자이다'고 보고된 중소기업의 비율은 얼마입니까? (According to government statistics, what percentage of SMEs were reported to be 'in deficit' this year?)
Read this passage:
정부 통계에 따르면, 올해 중소기업의 40%가 적자이다고 합니다. 이는 지난해 25%에 비해 크게 증가한 수치입니다. 전문가들은 원자재 가격 상승과 소비 심리 위축이 주요 원인이라고 분석했습니다. 정부는 중소기업 지원을 위한 특별 대책을 마련 중이라고 발표했습니다. (According to government statistics, 40% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are in deficit this year. This is a significant increase from 25% last year. Experts analyzed that rising raw material prices and weakening consumer sentiment are the main causes. The government announced that it is preparing special measures to support SMEs.)
정부 통계에 따르면 올해 '적자이다'고 보고된 중소기업의 비율은 얼마입니까? (According to government statistics, what percentage of SMEs were reported to be 'in deficit' this year?)
본문에 따르면 올해 중소기업의 40%가 적자이다고 합니다. (According to the passage, 40% of SMEs are in deficit this year.)
본문에 따르면 올해 중소기업의 40%가 적자이다고 합니다. (According to the passage, 40% of SMEs are in deficit this year.)
This sentence means 'I'm worried the company is continuously in the red.' The verb '적자이다' (to be in deficit) comes after the subject '회사가' (the company) and the adverb '계속' (continuously).
This sentence translates to 'Even this quarter, that business is in the red.' '이번 분기에도' (even this quarter) sets the time, followed by the subject '그 사업은' (that business) and the state '적자이다' (is in deficit).
This sentence means 'Last year, our store was in the red for the first time.' '지난해에' (last year) indicates time, '우리 가게는' (our store) is the subject, '처음으로' (for the first time) is an adverbial phrase, and '적자였다' is the past tense of '적자이다'.
저희 회사는 지난 분기에 심각한 ____ 겪었습니다. (Our company experienced a severe ____ last quarter.)
The sentence indicates a negative financial situation for the company, so '적자이다' (being in a deficit) is the correct fit. '흑자이다' means surplus, '이익이다' means profit, and '성장이다' means growth.
계속되는 판매 부진으로 그 상점은 결국 ____. (Due to continuous poor sales, that store eventually ____.)
If a store has continuous poor sales, it's likely to go out of business. '폐업했다' means it closed down, which is a consequence of being in deficit. '번창했다' means prospered, '확장했다' means expanded, and '매출이 올랐다' means sales increased.
정부는 국가 예산이 ____ 않도록 재정 관리에 신경 쓰고 있습니다. (The government is paying attention to financial management so that the national budget is not ____.)
Governments manage budgets to avoid deficits. '적자이다' means being in a deficit. '과하다' means excessive, '충분하다' means sufficient, and '낭비되다' means wasted.
이번 프로젝트는 초기 투자 비용이 너무 커서 당분간은 ____ 예상됩니다. (This project has such large initial investment costs that it is expected to be ____ for a while.)
Large initial investment costs often lead to a period of loss before profits. '적자이다' (being in a deficit) fits this context. '수익이다' means profit, '순조롭다' means smooth, and '완성되다' means completed.
그 회사는 몇 년째 ____ 계속되어 결국 구조조정을 단행했습니다. (That company continued to be ____ for several years, eventually carrying out restructuring.)
Continuous financial losses often lead to corporate restructuring. '적자이다' (being in a deficit) is the appropriate choice. '성장하다' means to grow, '흑자이다' means to be in surplus, and '유지하다' means to maintain.
새로운 사업을 시작했지만, 아직 ____ 벗어나지 못하고 있습니다. (I started a new business, but I still haven't gotten out of ____.)
New businesses often experience initial losses. '적자이다' (being in a deficit) makes sense here, implying they are still losing money. '부채이다' means debt, '흑자이다' means surplus, and '위험이다' means danger.
This sentence means 'The company is continuously in the red. Structural adjustment is necessary.' The order follows a natural Korean sentence structure.
This sentence means 'Due to poor sales last month, we are in a big deficit.' The words flow logically to form a coherent statement.
This sentence means 'The new business is still in the red, but the future is bright.' The conjunction '~이지만' connects the two clauses smoothly.
/ 24 correct
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