How do you use "national debt" in a sentence?

The national debt has reached record levels. Politicians argue about how to reduce the national debt. The national debt affects every citizen.

national debt

Q: What does "national debt" mean?

The total amount of money owed by a country's government We say 'national debt' not 'country debt' or 'government debt' in standard usage. This is a fixed compound noun in economics and politics.

Collocation BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Formal

Meaning: The total amount of money owed by a country's government

一个国家政府所欠的总金额

La cantidad total de dinero que debe el gobierno de un país

国の政府が負っている借金の総額

한 국가의 정부가 지고 있는 총 부채 금액

We say 'national debt' not 'country debt' or 'government debt' in standard usage. This is a fixed compound noun in economics and politics.

我们在标准用法中说'national debt'而不是'country debt'或'government debt'。这是经济和政治中的固定复合名词。

Decimos 'national debt' y no 'country debt' ni 'government debt' en el uso estándar. Es un sustantivo compuesto fijo en economía y política.

標準的な用法では「national debt」と言い、「country debt」や「government debt」とは言いません。これは経済学と政治における固定的な複合名詞です。

표준 용법에서는 'country debt'나 'government debt'가 아닌 'national debt'라고 합니다. 경제와 정치에서 사용되는 고정된 복합 명사입니다.

Examples

The national debt has reached record levels.
国债已达到创纪录水平。
La deuda nacional ha alcanzado niveles récord.
国の借金は過去最高水準に達した。
국가 부채가 사상 최고 수준에 도달했다.
Politicians argue about how to reduce the national debt.
政治家们争论如何减少国债。
Los políticos discuten sobre cómo reducir la deuda nacional.
政治家たちは国の借金をどう減らすか議論している。
정치인들은 국가 부채를 어떻게 줄일지 논쟁하고 있다.
The national debt affects every citizen.
国债影响着每一个公民。
La deuda nacional afecta a todos los ciudadanos.
国の借金はすべての国民に影響する。
국가 부채는 모든 국민에게 영향을 미친다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: economics, politics, news

Tone: serious

✓ Do Say

The national debt is growing.
国债在增长。
La deuda nacional está creciendo.
国の借金が増えている。
The national debt is growing.
How will we reduce the national debt?
我们该如何减少国债？
¿Cómo reduciremos la deuda nacional?
どうやって国の借金を減らすのか？
How will we reduce the national debt?

✗ Don't Say

The country debt is growing. (use 'national debt' not 'country debt')
The country debt is growing.（用'national debt'而不是'country debt'）
The country debt is growing. (se usa 'national debt' y no 'country debt')
The country debt is growing.（「country debt」ではなく「national debt」を使います）
The country debt is growing. ('country debt'가 아닌 'national debt'를 사용하세요)
The government debt is growing. (use 'national debt' not 'government debt' in standard usage)
The government debt is growing.（在标准用法中用'national debt'而不是'government debt'）
The government debt is growing. (se usa 'national debt' y no 'government debt' en el uso estándar)
The government debt is growing.（標準的な用法では「government debt」ではなく「national debt」を使います）
The government debt is growing. (표준 용법에서는 'government debt'가 아닌 'national debt'를 사용하세요)

Origin & History

Economic and political collocation — 'national debt' is the standard term for sovereign borrowing.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal