债台高筑

債臺高築

zhàitáigāozhù

idiom #38,218

Meanings

1 deeply in debt
2 to have debts piled up high
3 to be mired in debt

Characters

terrace; platform

Examples

公司经营不善，如今债台高筑。

Gōngsī jīngyíng bùshàn, rújīn zhàitáigāozhù.

The company was badly managed and is now deeply in debt.

他沉迷赌博，不到两年就债台高筑。

Tā chénmí dǔbó, bù dào liǎng nián jiù zhàitáigāozhù.

He got hooked on gambling and was drowning in debt in less than two years.

这个国家财政赤字严重，债台高筑。

Zhège guójiā cáizhèng chìzì yánzhòng, zhàitáigāozhù.

The country has a severe budget deficit and is piled high with debt.

Tips

history

From 《汉书·诸侯王表序》: 分为二周，有逃债之台 — 'the [later] Zhou split in two, and there was a Terrace for Fleeing Debts.' Legend has it King Nan of Zhou (d. 256 BCE) borrowed so heavily from his nobles that he had to hide on a tall terrace to avoid his creditors. The terrace became known as 逃债台.

memory

Literally 'debt-terrace built high' — picture debts stacked like bricks until they form a tower.

Stroke Order

债 zhài

台 tái

高 gāo

筑 zhù