dǎobì: 倒闭 - To Go Bankrupt, To Close Down (Business)

• Keywords: dǎobì, 倒闭, what does daobi mean, go bankrupt in Chinese, Chinese business failure, company closes down, 破产, business closure, Chinese economics, HSK 5 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of the essential Chinese word 倒闭 (dǎobì), which means 'to go bankrupt' or 'to close down.' This guide explores its characters (倒 - to fall over, 闭 - to close), its cultural significance in China's competitive economy, and provides practical example sentences for beginner and intermediate learners. Understand the key difference between 倒闭 and the legal term 破产 (pòchǎn) to discuss business failure like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǎobì
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: For a business or organization to fail and permanently cease operations.
• In a Nutshell: 倒闭 (dǎobì) is the most common, everyday word for a business “going under” or “shutting down” for good. It's not a legal term but a statement of fact: the business has failed and is no longer operating. The word itself paints a vivid picture of a company “falling over” (倒) and “closing its doors” (闭) permanently.

• 倒 (dǎo): The primary meaning used here is “to fall over,” “to collapse,” or “to topple.” Imagine a large tree falling in a forest or a stack of books tipping over.
• 闭 (bì): This character means “to close,” “to shut,” or “to stop up.” It's the same character used in words like `闭嘴 (bìzuǐ)` - “shut your mouth.”
• Together: The characters literally combine to mean “to fall over and close.” This creates a powerful and intuitive image of a business or enterprise collapsing under pressure and shutting its doors for the last time. It implies a sense of finality and failure.

In the context of China's rapid economic development and hyper-competitive market, 倒闭 is a term of great relevance. The rise and fall of businesses is a common topic of conversation, reflecting the “high-risk, high-reward” environment. While business failure is a universal concept, its implications can be tied to the cultural idea of 面子 (miànzi) - “face” or social reputation. A company's 倒闭 can be seen as a significant loss of face for its owner, as it's a public acknowledgment of failure. It's not just a financial loss but a social one as well. Compared to the American concept of “bankruptcy,” 倒闭 is less of a legal strategy and more of a straightforward outcome. In the U.S., a company might file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to restructure and survive. In Chinese, the term for this legal process is 破产 (pòchǎn). 倒闭, however, is the common-language term for the end of the line—the business is simply gone. It's what people say when they see “For Lease” signs on their favorite local restaurant.

倒闭 is a neutral-formality term used widely across different contexts.

• In Conversation: People use it to talk about local shops, restaurants, or companies they know. It's a factual statement, often said with a tone of regret or as a piece of gossip. (e.g., “Did you hear that coffee shop on the corner closed down?”)
• In Business and News: Media reports frequently use 倒闭 to describe industry trends, the effects of an economic crisis, or the failure of a specific corporation. It is a standard, non-technical term for business closure due to failure.
• Connotation: The word is inherently negative as it describes failure, but its usage is objective. It doesn't carry a moral judgment, but simply states a negative outcome.

• Example 1:
  • 听说我们街角那家面包店倒闭了。
  • Pinyin: Tīngshuō wǒmen jiējiǎo nà jiā miànbāodiàn dǎobì le.
  • English: I heard that the bakery on our street corner closed down.
  • Analysis: This is a perfect example of everyday, informal usage. The particle `了 (le)` indicates the action is complete.

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• Example 2:
  • 由于经营不善，他的公司去年倒闭了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú jīngyíng bùshàn, tā de gōngsī qùnián dǎobì le.
  • English: Due to poor management, his company went bankrupt last year.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a reason (`由于经营不善` - due to poor management) for the business failure, a common structure.

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• Example 3:
  • 经济危机导致许多小企业倒闭。
  • Pinyin: Jīngjì wēijī dǎozhì xǔduō xiǎo qǐyè dǎobì.
  • English: The economic crisis caused many small businesses to collapse.
  • Analysis: Here, 倒闭 is used to describe a large-scale trend. `导致 (dǎozhì)` means “to lead to” or “to cause.”

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• Example 4:
  • 如果我们再不改变策略，公司很快就会倒闭的。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ wǒmen zài bù gǎibiàn cèlüè, gōngsī hěn kuài jiù huì dǎobì de.
  • English: If we don't change our strategy soon, the company will go out of business.
  • Analysis: This shows a hypothetical, future-tense usage, expressing a warning.

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• Example 5:
  • 这家工厂倒闭后，几百名工人都失业了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngchǎng dǎobì hòu, jǐ bǎi míng gōngrén dōu shīyè le.
  • English: After this factory closed down, several hundred workers lost their jobs.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the consequences of a business closing, connecting it to `失业 (shīyè)` - unemployment.

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• Example 6:
  • 在激烈的市场竞争中，没有创新的公司很容易倒闭。
  • Pinyin: Zài jīliè de shìchǎng jìngzhēng zhōng, méiyǒu chuàngxīn de gōngsī hěn róngyì dǎobì.
  • English: In the fierce market competition, companies without innovation can easily go under.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes a general principle in business.

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• Example 7:
  • 很多人担心高昂的租金会让更多店铺倒闭。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō rén dānxīn gāo'áng de zūjīn huì ràng gèng duō diànpù dǎobì.
  • English: Many people are worried that the high rent will cause more shops to close down.
  • Analysis: `让 (ràng)` is used here to mean “to make” or “to cause” something to happen.

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• Example 8:
  • 诺基亚曾经是手机巨头，但最终还是倒闭了。
  • Pinyin: Nuòjīyà céngjīng shì shǒujī jùtóu, dàn zuìzhōng háishì dǎobì le.
  • English: Nokia was once a mobile phone giant, but in the end, it still went out of business.
  • Analysis: A note on this sentence: while Nokia the corporation didn't fully disappear, its mobile phone division effectively did. This is a common way people would describe such a major corporate failure in conversation.

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• Example 9:
  • 他投资的那家初创公司成立不到一年就倒闭了。
  • Pinyin: Tā tóuzī de nà jiā chūchuàng gōngsī chénglì bù dào yī nián jiù dǎobì le.
  • English: The startup he invested in went bankrupt less than a year after it was founded.
  • Analysis: `初创公司 (chūchuàng gōngsī)` is “startup company,” a context where 倒闭 is unfortunately very common.

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• Example 10:
  • 与其等着倒闭，不如我们主动转型。
  • Pinyin: Yǔqí děngzhe dǎobì, bùrú wǒmen zhǔdòng zhuǎnxíng.
  • English: Rather than wait to go bankrupt, it would be better for us to take the initiative to transform.
  • Analysis: The `与其…不如… (yǔqí…bùrú…)` structure means “rather than A, it's better to B,” showing a proactive response to the threat of failure.

• 倒闭 (dǎobì) vs. 破产 (pòchǎn): This is the most crucial distinction.
  • 倒闭 (dǎobì): The factual event of closing down permanently. It's an outcome. Used in everyday language.
  • 破产 (pòchǎn): The legal process of declaring bankruptcy. It's a formal, legal action.
  • Analogy: A company that `破产` (declares bankruptcy) will almost certainly `倒闭` (close down). But a company can `倒闭` without ever formally declaring `破产`.
• 倒闭 (dǎobì) vs. 关门 (guānmén):
  • 关门 (guānmén): Literally “to close the door.” It can mean closing for the day. While it's often used as a softer, colloquial way to say a business has shut down for good, it can be ambiguous.
  • Example: “那家店关门了 (nà jiā diàn guānmén le)” could mean “That shop is closed (for today).” Context is key.
  • 倒闭 (dǎobì): Unambiguous. It always means permanent closure due to failure.
• Common Mistake: Applying `倒闭` to a person. You cannot say a person has `倒闭`. This verb only applies to organizations, businesses, stores, factories, etc.
  • Incorrect: 他倒闭了。 (tā dǎobì le.)
  • Correct: 他的公司倒闭了。 (tā de gōngsī dǎobì le.) - His company went bankrupt.
  • Correct: 他破产了。 (tā pòchǎn le.) - He declared personal bankruptcy.

• 破产 (pòchǎn) - The formal, legal term for “bankruptcy.” More specific and less common in daily chat than `倒闭`.
• 关门 (guānmén) - To close a door; often a colloquial and sometimes ambiguous synonym for going out of business.
• 歇业 (xiēyè) - To cease business operations. It can be temporary (for renovation) or permanent. A more formal term.
• 亏本 (kuīběn) - To lose money on a business deal; to operate at a loss. This is a common cause of `倒闭`.
• 失业 (shīyè) - To be unemployed; to lose one's job. A direct consequence for employees when a company has a `倒闭`.
• 创业 (chuàngyè) - To start a business; to be an entrepreneur. The conceptual opposite of `倒闭`.
• 倒台 (dǎotái) - To fall from power; to be overthrown (used for governments, regimes, or leaders). It shares the character `倒` (to collapse) but applies to political power, not business.
• 经济危机 (jīngjì wēijī) - Economic crisis. A situation that often leads to many businesses `倒闭`.