kuīběn: 亏本 - To Lose Money (in business), Suffer a Loss

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of kuīběn (亏本), the essential Chinese term for losing money in business, making an unprofitable sale, or being “in the red.” This page breaks down the characters 亏 (loss) and 本 (capital), explores its cultural context in Chinese commerce, and provides numerous practical examples, from stock market discussions to clearance sale signs. Learn how to use this fundamental HSK 5 word to accurately describe financial losses and avoid common mistakes.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): kuīběn (kuī bĕn)
• Part of Speech: Verb (specifically, a verb-object compound)
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To lose capital; to suffer a financial loss in a business or transaction.
• In a Nutshell: Kuīběn is the go-to term for when a business activity ends up costing more than it earns. It literally translates to “lose the principal/capital.” If you buy something for $10 and sell it for $8, you have 亏本-ed. It's the direct opposite of making a profit and is a fundamental concept in any conversation about business, investment, or sales.

• 亏 (kuī): This character's primary meaning is “to lose,” “to lack,” or “a deficit.” Think of it as having a part of something taken away, resulting in a loss.
• 本 (běn): This character originally depicted a tree (木) with its roots marked at the bottom, so it means “root,” “origin,” or “foundation.” In a financial context, it extends to mean the “principal” or “initial capital”—the foundational money you start with.

When combined, 亏本 (kuīběn) is incredibly logical and transparent: 亏 (to lose) + 本 (the capital). It means you've lost the money you started with; your venture was unprofitable.

In Chinese culture, business and finance are often discussed in very direct and pragmatic terms. Kuīběn is a perfect example of this. It's a straightforward, factual statement of loss without the softer euphemisms often found in Western corporate jargon like “negative growth” or “revenue shortfall.” While admitting to a kuīběn situation might cause someone to “lose face” (面子, miànzi), the term itself is neutral and descriptive. It's a common word used by everyone from street vendors to corporate executives. A classic cultural application is the “亏本大甩卖!” (kuīběn dà shuǎimài!) or “Losing-Money Big Clearance Sale!” signs you see everywhere in China. While it's often a marketing tactic, it plays on the idea that the seller is so desperate to clear inventory that they are willing to suffer a personal financial loss. This is meant to signal to the buyer that they are getting an unbeatable rock-bottom price.

Kuīběn is a versatile term used in various modern contexts:

• Business & Commerce: It's used formally in meetings and reports to describe an unprofitable project, quarter, or business unit.
  • “我们第三季度的这个项目亏本了。” (Our project from the third quarter lost money.)
• Retail & Sales: As mentioned above, it's a very common marketing term for clearance sales. Shopkeepers will often shout it to attract customers.
  • “最后三天，亏本处理！” (Last three days, selling at a loss!)
• Personal Finance & Investment: People use it frequently to talk about personal investments, especially in the stock market.
  • “我去年买的基金现在亏本了。” (The mutual fund I bought last year is now in the red.)
• Figurative Usage: While less common, it can be used figuratively to describe a deal or exchange where one feels they've lost out significantly, even if not directly financial. For example, spending a lot of time on a project that fails could be described as a “亏本买卖” (a losing deal).

The term is generally neutral and factual, though the situation it describes is, of course, negative. It's appropriate for both formal and informal settings.

• Example 1:
  • 今年经济不景气，很多公司都在亏本经营。
  • Pinyin: Jīnnián jīngjì bù jǐngqì, hěnduō gōngsī dōu zài kuīběn jīngyíng.
  • English: The economy is in a slump this year, and many companies are operating at a loss.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 亏本 with “经营” (jīngyíng - to operate/run a business) to describe the overall state of a company.
• Example 2:
  • 为了吸引顾客，这家新开的餐厅头一个月是亏本卖的。
  • Pinyin: Wèile xīyǐn gùkè, zhè jiā xīn kāi de cāntīng tóu yī ge yuè shì kuīběn mài de.
  • English: In order to attract customers, this new restaurant sold its food at a loss for the first month.
  • Analysis: This shows a strategic use of 亏本 as a short-term business strategy (a loss leader).
• Example 3:
  • 这笔生意要是亏本了，我们就麻烦大了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bǐ shēngyì yàoshi kuīběn le, wǒmen jiù máfan dà le.
  • English: If this deal loses money, we'll be in big trouble.
  • Analysis: A common conditional sentence structure (“要是…就…”) highlighting the negative consequences of 亏本.
• Example 4:
  • 商店门口挂着“亏本大甩卖”的牌子。
  • Pinyin: Shāngdiàn ménkǒu guàzhe “kuīběn dà shuǎimài” de páizi.
  • English: The shop's entrance has a sign hanging that says, “Clearance Sale at a Loss.”
  • Analysis: This is the classic marketing usage seen all over China.
• Example 5:
  • 我劝你不要投资这个，感觉一定会亏本。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ quàn nǐ búyào tóuzī zhège, gǎnjué yīdìng huì kuīběn.
  • English: I advise you not to invest in this; I feel it will definitely lose money.
  • Analysis: Here, 亏本 is used to predict a future financial outcome.
• Example 6:
  • 他花了那么多钱和时间，最后项目失败了，真是一桩亏本买卖。
  • Pinyin: Tā huāle nàme duō qián hé shíjiān, zuìhòu xiàngmù shībài le, zhēnshi yī zhuāng kuīběn mǎimài.
  • English: He spent so much money and time, but the project failed in the end. It was truly a losing deal.
  • Analysis: This uses the set phrase 亏本买卖 (kuīběn mǎimài), meaning a “losing deal” or “unprofitable venture,” which can refer to more than just money (like time and effort).
• Example 7:
  • 不管你卖多少钱，只要低于成本价就是亏本。
  • Pinyin: Bùguǎn nǐ mài duōshǎo qián, zhǐyào dīyú chéngběn jià jiùshì kuīběn.
  • English: No matter how much you sell it for, as long as it's below the cost price, it's a loss.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly defines the concept of 亏本 in relation to “成本价” (chéngběn jià - cost price).
• Example 8:
  • 这件衣服我买的时候五百块，现在两百块卖给你，我已经亏本了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu wǒ mǎi de shíhou wǔbǎi kuài, xiànzài liǎngbǎi kuài mài gěi nǐ, wǒ yǐjīng kuīběn le.
  • English: I bought this piece of clothing for 500 RMB, and now I'm selling it to you for 200. I'm already losing money.
  • Analysis: A very common conversational example used during bargaining.
• Example 9:
  • 宁可亏本，我也要保持我们产品的质量。
  • Pinyin: Nìngkě kuīběn, wǒ yě yào bǎochí wǒmen chǎnpǐn de zhìliàng.
  • English: I would rather lose money than compromise the quality of our products.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows 亏本 being used to express a principle or priority, using the “宁可…也…” (nìngkě…yě… - would rather…than…) structure.
• Example 10:
  • 他做生意太老实，总是亏本。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuò shēngyì tài lǎoshi, zǒngshì kuīběn.
  • English: He is too honest in business and is always losing money.
  • Analysis: This links a personal characteristic (“老实” - lǎoshi, honest/naive) to the business outcome of 亏本.

• Kuīběn (亏本) vs. Péiqián (赔钱): These two terms are very close synonyms and often interchangeable. Both mean “to lose money.”
  • Kuīběn (亏本) literally means “to lose the capital (本).” It emphasizes that the revenue did not cover the initial costs. It is highly focused on business operations.
  • Péiqián (赔钱) literally means “to compensate money.” It can also mean to lose money in business, but it carries a slightly broader sense of paying money *out*, sometimes to cover a debt or compensate for a mistake. For example, if you break a window, you have to 赔钱. If your business is unprofitable, you could say it's 亏本 or 赔钱. For most business contexts, they are effectively the same.
• Kuīběn (亏本) vs. Kuī (亏):
  • Kuīběn specifically refers to a financial loss where costs exceed revenue.
  • Kuī on its own is a more general term for “to lose out” or “to get the short end of the stick.” You can use it in non-financial situations.
  • Correct: “这笔生意亏本了。” (This business deal lost money.)
  • Correct: “为了等你，我错过了火车，真是亏大了！” (I missed my train waiting for you, what a huge loss!) - Here, 亏本 would be incorrect as no capital was lost.

• Antonyms:
  • 赚钱 (zhuànqián) - The most common and direct antonym: “to make money,” “to earn a profit.”
  • 盈利 (yínglì) - A more formal antonym: “to make a profit,” “profit; gain.”
• Synonyms & Similar Terms:
  • 赔钱 (péiqián) - A very close synonym, also meaning “to lose money.”
  • 亏损 (kuīsǔn) - A more formal, technical term for “loss” or “deficit,” often used in financial statements.
  • 赤字 (chìzì) - “Deficit” (literally “red characters/words”), an accounting term for being in the red.
• Related Concepts:
  • 成本 (chéngběn) - “Cost.” A business 亏本s when its revenue is less than its 成本.
  • 利润 (lìrùn) - “Profit.” The goal of business is to have 利润, not to 亏本.
  • 投资 (tóuzī) - “Investment.” An activity that carries the risk of 亏本.
  • 甩卖 (shuǎimài) - “Clearance sale.” Often advertised using the term 亏本.
  • 买卖 (mǎimài) - “Business,” “deal,” “trade.” Often seen in the phrase “亏本买卖” (a losing deal).