go bankrupt
Become insolvent
Littéralement: to move/proceed into a state of broken bench
Use `go bankrupt` to describe total financial failure for businesses or individuals in serious or hyperbolic contexts.
En 15 secondes
- Losing all money and being unable to pay debts.
- Used for both official business failure and personal financial ruin.
- Originates from the Italian phrase for a 'broken bench'.
Signification
When a person or a company loses all their money and cannot pay back what they owe. It means reaching a point where your bank account is empty and you legally admit you're broke.
Exemples clés
3 sur 6Discussing a famous company
Did you hear that the national airline might go bankrupt next month?
Did you hear that the national airline might go bankrupt next month?
Joking with a friend about shopping
If I keep buying these designer shoes, I'm going to go bankrupt!
If I keep buying these designer shoes, I'm going to go bankrupt!
Explaining a business closure
The family restaurant went bankrupt after the new mall opened nearby.
The family restaurant went bankrupt after the new mall opened nearby.
Contexte culturel
The phrase has roots in 16th-century Italy where a money-lender's bench was physically broken if they failed. In modern Western culture, while it is a legal process, there is often a social stigma attached to 'going bankrupt.' However, in places like Silicon Valley, failing a business and going bankrupt is sometimes seen as a 'badge of honor' or a learning experience.
The 'Go' is key
Remember that 'bankrupt' is an adjective, so you need the verb 'go' to show the change in state. You 'are' bankrupt (status) but you 'go' bankrupt (the event).
Watch your tone
Avoid saying 'You are going bankrupt' to someone who is actually struggling. It is very blunt and can be seen as insensitive or rude.
En 15 secondes
- Losing all money and being unable to pay debts.
- Used for both official business failure and personal financial ruin.
- Originates from the Italian phrase for a 'broken bench'.
What It Means
Go bankrupt is the ultimate financial 'game over' screen. It means a person or business has no money left. They cannot pay their bills or debts anymore. It is a legal status, but we use it in conversation too. It sounds serious because it usually involves courts and lawyers. If you go bankrupt, you are starting over from zero.
How To Use It
Use it as a verb phrase. You can say a company went bankrupt last year. You can also use it for people, though that is heavier. Use the past tense went for things that already happened. Use going if the money is running out fast. It often follows the word 'almost' or 'nearly' for dramatic effect.
- "The toy store
went bankruptbecause of the internet." - "If I buy that car, I will
go bankrupt!"
When To Use It
You use this in business meetings to discuss risks. It is perfect for news reports about failing companies. You can also use it with friends when joking about being poor. Use it when a situation is financially hopeless. It works well when explaining why a shop closed down.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use it for a small, temporary lack of cash. If you forgot your wallet, you aren't going bankrupt. Avoid using it about friends who are actually struggling financially. It can be a very sensitive and painful topic. Don't use it if you just mean 'expensive.' Use pricey instead.
Cultural Background
The word 'bankrupt' comes from the Italian 'banca rotta.' This literally means 'broken bench.' In the old days, bankers sat on benches in the marketplace. If they ran out of money, people would break their bench. It was a very public and loud way to lose your job! Today, it is more about paperwork than breaking furniture.
Common Variations
You might hear people say go bust. This is much more informal and common in the UK. Another version is file for bankruptcy. This is the official legal term used in the US. Some people say go belly up when a business fails. It sounds like a dead fish floating in a tank. Use go under for a slightly softer way to say a business failed.
Notes d'usage
The phrase is a 'neutral' collocation. It is perfectly acceptable in business reports, but also works as a dramatic exaggeration in casual speech. Always use the verb `go` (go, went, gone, going).
The 'Go' is key
Remember that 'bankrupt' is an adjective, so you need the verb 'go' to show the change in state. You 'are' bankrupt (status) but you 'go' bankrupt (the event).
Watch your tone
Avoid saying 'You are going bankrupt' to someone who is actually struggling. It is very blunt and can be seen as insensitive or rude.
The Broken Bench
In Italy, a 'banca rotta' (broken bench) was a sign of shame. Today, Americans often view bankruptcy as a 'fresh start' rather than just a failure.
Exemples
6Did you hear that the national airline might go bankrupt next month?
Did you hear that the national airline might go bankrupt next month?
Used here in a professional, news-oriented context.
If I keep buying these designer shoes, I'm going to go bankrupt!
If I keep buying these designer shoes, I'm going to go bankrupt!
A hyperbolic, humorous way to say something is too expensive.
The family restaurant went bankrupt after the new mall opened nearby.
The family restaurant went bankrupt after the new mall opened nearby.
Explaining a sad but factual business reality.
That crypto coin crashed and the whole exchange went bankrupt overnight.
That crypto coin crashed and the whole exchange went bankrupt overnight.
Casual reporting of a sudden financial disaster.
Without a new loan, this charity will go bankrupt by Christmas.
Without a new loan, this charity will go bankrupt by Christmas.
Formal warning about an impending crisis.
My uncle went bankrupt in the 90s but eventually built a new career.
My uncle went bankrupt in the 90s but eventually built a new career.
Reflecting on a personal history of financial hardship.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct form of the phrase to complete the sentence.
The tech startup ___ last year because they spent too much on advertising.
The sentence refers to 'last year,' so we must use the past tense 'went'.
Complete the sentence with the most natural sounding option.
If we don't find more customers soon, we are ___.
We use the present continuous 'going' to describe a process that is currently happening or likely to happen soon.
🎉 Score : /2
Aides visuelles
Formality of Financial Failure
Used with friends or in slang.
Go bust
Standard conversational and news English.
Go bankrupt
Legal and official documentation.
File for bankruptcy
When to say 'Go Bankrupt'
Business News
The retail giant went bankrupt.
Hyperbole/Jokes
This dinner will make me go bankrupt!
Legal Advice
You may need to go bankrupt to clear debts.
Economic History
Many banks went bankrupt in 2008.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot exactly. 'Being broke' is informal and usually temporary, like having no cash until payday. Go bankrupt is a serious, often legal, total loss of all assets.
You can use it for both! You can say He went bankrupt or The company went bankrupt. Both are grammatically correct.
Only if you are discussing a previous company's failure. For example: Unfortunately, my last employer went bankrupt. It sounds professional and factual.
Go bankrupt is the general result, while file for bankruptcy is the specific legal action of submitting paperwork to a court.
It is more of a collocation (words that naturally go together). However, using it to mean 'this coffee is expensive' is an idiomatic/hyperbolic use.
There isn't one single phrase, but you could say a company is profitable, solvent, or in the black.
No, that sounds unnatural. In English, we almost always use the verb go with bankrupt, similar to go crazy or go blind.
It is neutral. It is used in serious newspapers, but also in casual conversations. It is safe to use in almost any setting.
Go bust is a more slang/informal version common in the UK and Australia. Use go bankrupt if you want to sound more standard.
Technically yes, in a legal sense. But in conversation, people use it to mean 'running out of money completely' even without a court involved.
Expressions liées
Go bust
An informal way to say a business has failed and closed.
Go under
To fail or go out of business (like a sinking ship).
In the red
Spending more money than you are earning; being in debt.
Belly up
A colorful idiom for a business that has completely failed.
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