economic crisis
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economic crisis
A phase in which the economic output of a country or region declines sharply over an extended period. This often manifests itself in falling production, high unemployment, and financial instability.
Die große Wirtschaftskrise von 1929 hatte weltweite Auswirkungen.
The Great Depression of 1929 had worldwide effects.
The word is composed of 'Wirtschaft' (economy) and 'Krise' (crisis). The 's' between them is a linking s, which connects the two words. So the meaning is literally a crisis of the economy.
Viele Unternehmen mussten während der Wirtschaftskrise schließen.
Many companies had to close during the economic crisis.
Common adjectives are 'schwere' (severe), 'tiefe' (deep), or 'globale' (global) with 'Wirtschaftskrise' (economic crisis). Typical verbs are to 'verursachen' (cause), 'auslösen' (trigger), 'bekämpfen' (fight), or 'überwinden' (overcome) a crisis.
Die Regierung versucht, die schwere Wirtschaftskrise zu bekämpfen.
The government is trying to fight the severe economic crisis.
To describe a state, people often use 'in der Wirtschaftskrise' (in the economic crisis). To name a period of time, 'während der Wirtschaftskrise' (during the economic crisis) is common.
Das Land steckt tief in einer Wirtschaftskrise.
The country is deep in an economic crisis.
depression
'die Depression' and 'die Wirtschaftskrise' can both describe a very bad economic situation. 'Wirtschaftskrise' is the more general expression and is more common in everyday language for a phase in which the economy is doing badly. In this context, 'Depression' is stronger and more technical: it refers to an especially severe and deep economic weakness. Learners may confuse the words because both are connected with unemployment, lower production, and problems in the economy. For ordinary news and conversations, 'Wirtschaftskrise' often fits. 'Depression' is used more when the crisis is especially severe or is being described more precisely in economic terms.
In der Wirtschaftskrise kauften die Menschen weniger und viele Geschäfte hatten Probleme.
During the economic crisis, people bought less and many shops had problems.
Die Depression der Wirtschaft dauerte mehrere Jahre und traf viele Firmen hart.
The economic depression lasted several years and hit many companies hard.