idioms
Idioms & Natural Expressions
Fixed expressions and idiomatic language to sound more natural and precise.
30 minC1c1idiomsfinance-investment-riskinversiónriesgofinanzasidiomas
Lesson objectives
- Use idiomatic language connected to finance, investment & risk more naturally.
- Distinguish neutral, formal and contemporary expressions.
- Recognise when an expression improves fluency without sounding forced.
Idioms & expressions — Finance, Investment & Risk
To hedge one's bets · neutral
neutralMeaning:To reduce the risk of losing by supporting more than one side or possibility.
Significado:No jugárselo todo a una carta / Diversificar el riesgo.
Example:Given the volatility in the tech sector, the fund manager decided to hedge her bets by investing in both AI hardware and renewable energy.
To be in the red · neutral
neutralMeaning:To be in a state of financial deficit or losing money.
Significado:Estar en números rojos.
Example:After the unexpected supply chain disruptions, the startup found itself in the red for the third consecutive quarter.
A sunk cost fallacy · formal
formalMeaning:The tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made, even if it is no longer rational.
Significado:La falacia del coste hundido.
Example:We need to stop pouring capital into this failing project; we cannot let the sunk cost fallacy dictate our fiscal strategy.
To go all in · informal
formalMeaning:To commit all of one's resources or energy to a particular course of action.
Significado:Apostarlo todo / Ir con todo.
Example:The venture capital firm decided to go all in on the new biotech platform, despite the high entry costs.
To weather the storm · neutral
neutralMeaning:To successfully survive a difficult period or financial crisis.
Significado:Aguantar el tipo / Superar la tormenta.
Example:The company managed to weather the storm of the recent market crash through disciplined cost-cutting measures.
To be bottom-line driven · formal
formalMeaning:To focus primarily on the final profit or loss of a business.
Significado:Centrarse exclusivamente en los resultados finales / En el beneficio neto.
Example:The new CEO is strictly bottom-line driven, which has led to significant restructuring across all departments.
To pivot to profitability · neutral
neutralMeaning:To change a business model or strategy specifically to start making money (common in tech/startup culture).
Significado:Girar hacia la rentabilidad.
Example:After three years of growth-only focus, the platform is now forced to pivot to profitability to satisfy its investors.
To de-risk the roadmap · formal
formalMeaning:To identify and mitigate potential failures in a strategic plan or product development cycle.
Significado:Mitigar los riesgos de la hoja de ruta / Planificación estratégica.
Example:Before we commit to the global rollout, we need to de-risk the roadmap by conducting more pilot tests in emerging markets.
To capture the alpha · formal
formalMeaning:To achieve returns that exceed the market average (often used in modern quantitative finance).
Significado:Obtener rentabilidad superior a la media.
Example:The algorithmic trading team is constantly refining their models to capture the alpha in these highly liquid markets.
To be liquidity-constrained · formal
formalMeaning:To have insufficient cash or liquid assets to meet immediate financial obligations.
Significado:Tener problemas de liquidez / Estar limitado por la falta de liquidez.
Example:While the company has high asset value, they are currently liquidity-constrained due to the sudden shift in interest rates.