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Processed with VS1Understand common expressions for business losses, profits, and people withdrawing money at once.
VOA source audio
Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptThe episode introduces financial language for a company losing or earning money, a sudden rush of withdrawals, and rapid buying and selling of stocks. This guide focuses on three expressions and treats the source’s dated market details as historical, not current advice.
Cultural note: “A run on the bank” describes a collective rush to withdraw deposits amid fears about a bank; it is not a prediction that a particular bank will fail. The source’s explanation of NASDAQ and its day-trading statistics are historical and are intentionally not repeated as current facts.
Keep exploringRed and black can describe a business’s finances, while a “run” can describe many people trying to withdraw money at once.
Phrase guide · 4 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Color expressions for losses and profits.
Meaning
Owing more money than is coming in, or operating at a loss.
Tone & use
Common in business and personal-finance contexts. It describes a financial position, not necessarily a permanent one.
Example
“After a costly renovation, the small theater was in the red for several months.”
Meaning
Making a profit or having more money coming in than going out.
Tone & use
Common in business and bookkeeping contexts; “back in the black” means returning to profitability.
Example
“The neighborhood café was finally in the black after attracting more weekday customers.”
A phrase for a sudden rush of withdrawals.
Meaning
A situation in which many depositors try to withdraw their money from a bank at the same time.
Tone & use
A financial-news term. Use it for a collective event, not as a casual synonym for ordinary withdrawals.
Example
“Reports of a possible run on the bank led officials to explain how customers could access insured deposits.”
A term for buying and selling investments within a day.
Meaning
Buying and selling financial assets within the same day.
Tone & use
A financial term, not a guarantee of profit. The source’s market details and statistics are from 2009 and should not be treated as current guidance.
Example
“The article explains day trading as a way investors buy and sell shares during one trading day.”
Knowledge check
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