bankrupt / broke
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bankrupt
Unable to pay debts or bills; no longer financially capable of doing so. The word is used especially for companies or individuals who are facing bankruptcy or have already filed for bankruptcy.
Nach mehreren schlechten Geschäftsjahren war die Firma pleite.
After several bad years in business, the company was bankrupt.
broke
Informal: having no money left or being completely financially drained.
Nach dem Urlaub bin ich völlig pleite.
I'm completely broke after the vacation.
| basic form | pleite |
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'pleite' is mainly used in informal speech and sounds direct and often somewhat colloquial. It can be used both when talking about companies and about someone's personal financial situation.
Hast du schon gehört? Der Laden an der Ecke ist pleite.
Have you heard? The shop on the corner is bankrupt.
With companies, 'pleite' is often used with verbs such as 'sein' (to be) or 'gehen' (to go). Typical combinations are 'eine Firma ist pleite' (a company is bankrupt) and 'ein Unternehmen geht pleite' (a company goes bankrupt).
Viele kleine Geschäfte gingen während der Krise pleite.
Many small businesses went bankrupt during the crisis.
When referring to someone's personal financial situation, 'pleite' is often used with words such as 'völlig' (completely), 'total' (totally), or 'fast' (almost). The context often gives a reason or a time, for example after a trip or after high expenses.
Nach dem Umzug war sie fast pleite.
She was almost broke after moving.
