First 'Brexit' and Now 暴跌 (bàod iē)! Read about the British Pound Here

Last month, the British pound fell 6% to $1.18 against the US dollar in Asian markets. This dramatic drop of the British currency was based on fears regarding the future of trade in Britain following the June 2016 voter decision for the UK to leave the European Union (EU). That event, called "Brexit 脱欧" was a controversial decision that may impact the economy of the UK in the future. As Europe is preparing for exit of the UK, there is an uncertainty regarding the economy that may have fueled this plummet in the British currency. Global markets have been uncertain ever since.

This "crash" of a currency is not uncommon. It's largely the fault of doubt existing whether a country's national bank has sufficient foreign exchange reserves to maintain the country's exchange rate. In the late 1990s it happened in Asia, in Mexico this took place in the mid-1990s. When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, many export economies also lowered the exchange value of their currencies. In Chinese, we use "暴跌 (bàodiē)" to describe this sudden drop, which means "nose dive / plummet / drop sharply".

Let's break down "暴跌 (bàodiē)":

暴 (bào) is an adverb here, meaning to do something suddenly and fiercely
跌 (diē) is a verb, meaning to fall, tumble, or drop
暴跌 (bàodiē): nose dive; steep fall (in price); drop sharply;

Some examples of "暴跌 (bàodiē)" used in...Read more

Do you know anyone that just doesn't seem to learn from their mistakes? Someone who refuses to adapt and change for the better? Maybe they are a bit stubborn and hardheaded, too? We all know these types...maybe we can even see one in the mirror!

In Chinese, we refer to a person having this kind of mental weakness as a "榆木脑袋 (yúmù nǎodai) deadhead". The "榆木脑袋 (yúmù nǎodai)" may exhibit the character flaws of being a bit stubborn and thick-headed. Of course, you can also use this term to...Read more

An example of "榆木脑袋 (yúmù nǎodai) used in a sentence:

Zhème jiǎndān de tí dōu bú huì zuò, zhēn shì gè yúmù nǎodai.
这么 简单 的 题 都 不 会 做 ， 真 是 个 榆木 脑袋。
It's silly of you that you can't answer such a simple question.

Quiz: