Business and Finance Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
Revenue, profit margins, cash flow and interest rates: the words you need to read business news, talk about a company and follow a finance meeting in English, with Turkish translations and real examples.
46 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Companies and the people in them
Words for how a business is organized and who it works with. For everyday office words like manager, meeting and colleague, see office and workplace.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
headquarters ⁄ˈhedkwɔːrtɚz⁄ · noun B2 | the main office of a company The company's headquarters are in Istanbul. | genel merkez |
subsidiary ⁄səbˈsɪdieri⁄ · noun C1 | a company that is owned and controlled by a bigger company The bank has subsidiaries in five countries. | yan kuruluş, bağlı şirket |
startup ⁄ˈstɑːrtʌp⁄ · noun B2 | a new, small company, often in technology She left her bank job to join a startup. | girişim şirketi, startup |
entrepreneur ⁄ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɝː⁄ · noun B2 | a person who starts their own business and takes risks to make money He became an entrepreneur at twenty-five. | girişimci |
shareholder ⁄ˈʃerhoʊldɚ⁄ · noun B2 | a person or company that owns part of a company through shares (American English also: stockholder) The shareholders voted for the new plan. | hissedar |
board of directors ⁄ˌbɔːrd əv dəˈrektɚz⁄ · noun B2 | the group of people who control a company and make its big decisions The board of directors meets four times a year. | yönetim kurulu |
CEO ⁄ˌsiː iː ˈoʊ⁄ · noun B2 | chief executive officer: the person with the most power in a company The CEO announced the results this morning. | genel müdür, CEO |
competitor ⁄kəmˈpetɪtɚ⁄ · noun B2 | a company that sells the same kind of product as another Our main competitor has lowered its prices. | rakip |
supplier ⁄səˈplaɪɚ⁄ · noun B2 | a company that provides goods or materials to another company We are looking for a cheaper supplier of paper. | tedarikçi |
client ⁄ˈklaɪənt⁄ · noun B1 | a person or company that pays for a professional service I have a meeting with a new client at ten. | müşteri |
merger ⁄ˈmɝːdʒɚ⁄ · noun C1 | the joining of two companies into one The merger created the biggest airline in the region. | birleşme |
Money in a business
These words describe the money that comes into a company and the money that goes out. They appear in every report and financial meeting, and many of them combine with verbs like increase, cut and make. To describe how they change over time, see describing trends and graphs.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
revenue ⁄ˈrevənuː⁄ · noun B2 | all the money a company receives from sales before costs are taken away Revenue grew by ten percent this year. | gelir, hasılat |
profit ⁄ˈprɑːfɪt⁄ · noun B1 | the money you have left after you pay all your costs The shop made a small profit in its first year. | kâr |
loss ⁄lɔːs⁄ · noun B1 | the money a business loses when costs are higher than income The airline reported a loss for the third year. | zarar |
turnover ⁄ˈtɝːnoʊvɚ⁄ · noun C1 | the total amount of business a company does in a period, mainly British English; also how fast staff leave and are replaced The company has an annual turnover of two million euros. | ciro; personel devir oranı |
budget ⁄ˈbʌdʒɪt⁄ · noun B1 | a plan for how much money you can spend We need to stay within budget on this project. | bütçe |
expenses ⁄ɪkˈspensɪz⁄ · noun B2 | money you spend for work, often paid back by your company The company pays my travel expenses. | masraflar, giderler |
cash flow ⁄ˈkæʃ ˌfloʊ⁄ · noun C1 | the movement of money into and out of a business Many small firms fail because of poor cash flow. | nakit akışı |
invoice ⁄ˈɪnvɔɪs⁄ · noun B2 | a document that lists what you sold and how much the customer must pay Please send the invoice to our accounts department. | fatura |
profit margin ⁄ˈprɑːfɪt ˌmɑːrdʒɪn⁄ · noun C1 | the difference between the cost of making something and the price it sells for Supermarkets often work with low profit margins. | kâr marjı |
break even ⁄ˌbreɪk ˈiːvən⁄ · phrasal verb C1 | to earn exactly as much as you spend, with no profit and no loss We expect to break even in our second year. | başa baş noktasına gelmek |
asset ⁄ˈæset⁄ · noun B2 | something valuable that a person or company owns The building is the company's biggest asset. | varlık, değer |
debt ⁄det⁄ · noun B1 | money that you owe to someone The company is trying to pay off its debts. | borç |
Banks, markets and the economy
Words you hear in the business news and at the bank. For simple sentences to use at the counter, see the phrasebook page on at the bank, and for everyday money words, see money.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
loan ⁄loʊn⁄ · noun B1 | money that a bank lends you and you must pay back with interest They got a bank loan to open the restaurant. | kredi, borç |
interest rate ⁄ˈɪntrəst ˌreɪt⁄ · noun B2 | the percentage a bank charges you to borrow money, or pays you on savings The central bank raised interest rates again. | faiz oranı |
invest ⁄ɪnˈvest⁄ · verb B1 | to put money into something to make more money later She invested her savings in a small business. | yatırım yapmak |
shares ⁄ʃerz⁄ · noun B2 | equal parts of a company that people can buy and own (American English often: stock) He bought shares in a tech company. | hisse senetleri |
stock market ⁄ˈstɑːk ˌmɑːrkɪt⁄ · noun B2 | the place or system where people buy and sell shares The stock market fell sharply on Monday. | borsa |
dividend ⁄ˈdɪvədend⁄ · noun C1 | a part of a company's profit that is paid to shareholders The company pays a dividend twice a year. | temettü, kâr payı |
inflation ⁄ɪnˈfleɪʃən⁄ · noun B2 | a general rise in prices, so money buys less High inflation makes everyday life more expensive. | enflasyon |
recession ⁄rɪˈseʃən⁄ · noun B2 | a period when the economy gets smaller and many people lose jobs Many businesses closed during the recession. | durgunluk, resesyon |
tax ⁄tæks⁄ · noun B1 | money that people and companies must pay to the government Small businesses pay a lower rate of tax. | vergi |
currency ⁄ˈkɝːənsi⁄ · noun B1 | the money used in a particular country The euro is the currency of many European countries. | para birimi |
exchange rate ⁄ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ ˌreɪt⁄ · noun B1 | how much of one currency you get for another Check the exchange rate before you travel. | döviz kuru |
bankrupt ⁄ˈbæŋkrʌpt⁄ · adjective B2 | not able to pay your debts, so a business must close The company went bankrupt after two bad years. | iflas etmiş |
Deals, growth and change
Verbs and nouns for what companies do: make agreements, sell new products and grow or shrink. For the language of negotiation itself, see the phrasebook page on negotiating.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
negotiate ⁄nɪˈɡoʊʃieɪt⁄ · verb B2 | to talk with someone to reach an agreement We negotiated a better price with the supplier. | müzakere etmek, pazarlık etmek |
deal ⁄diːl⁄ · noun B1 | an agreement in business, especially to buy or sell something The two companies signed a deal worth millions. | anlaşma |
contract ⁄ˈkɑːntrækt⁄ · noun B1 | a written legal agreement between two people or companies Read the contract carefully before you sign it. | sözleşme |
deadline ⁄ˈdedlaɪn⁄ · noun B1 | the time or date when something must be finished The deadline for the report is Friday at noon. | son teslim tarihi |
launch ⁄lɔːntʃ⁄ · verb B2 | to start selling a new product or start a new activity The company will launch its new app in the spring. | piyasaya sürmek, başlatmak |
expand ⁄ɪkˈspænd⁄ · verb B2 | to grow bigger, for example by opening new offices or shops The café chain plans to expand into Europe. | büyümek, genişlemek |
take over ⁄ˌteɪk ˈoʊvɚ⁄ · phrasal verb B2 | to get control of a company by buying it A bigger firm took over the startup last year. | devralmak, satın almak |
outsource ⁄ˈaʊtsɔːrs⁄ · verb C1 | to pay another company to do part of your work Many firms outsource their customer service. | dış kaynak kullanmak |
forecast ⁄ˈfɔːrkæst⁄ · noun B2 | a statement about what will probably happen, based on information The sales forecast for next year looks good. | tahmin, öngörü |
market share ⁄ˌmɑːrkɪt ˈʃer⁄ · noun C1 | the part of all sales in a market that one company has The brand lost market share to cheaper products. | pazar payı |
lay off ⁄ˌleɪ ˈɔːf⁄ · phrasal verb C1 | to stop employing workers because there is not enough work or money The factory laid off two hundred workers. | işten çıkarmak |
Useful phrases and collocations
make a profit
The shop made a profit in its first year.
make a loss
The company made a loss of half a million. (American English often says post a loss.)
cut costs
We need to cut costs by ten percent.
stay within budget
The project stayed within budget.
take out a loan
They took out a loan to buy new machines.
pay off a debt
It took five years to pay off the debt.
raise interest rates
The central bank decided to raise interest rates.
sign a contract
We signed the contract this morning.
close a deal
The sales team closed a big deal in Tokyo.
meet a deadline
Can we meet the deadline if we work this weekend?
launch a product
They launched the product at a trade fair.
go bankrupt
Several shops on the street went bankrupt.
issue an invoice
We issue an invoice at the end of each month.
a rise in revenue
The report shows a rise in revenue.
gain market share
The company gained market share in Asia.
How to learn these words
Learn business words in pairs and chains: revenue minus costs gives profit or loss; a company borrows a loan and pays interest; a startup grows, expands, launches products and may be taken over. Draw these chains on paper, say them aloud, and review them the next day and again a week later. See how to learn English vocabulary for a simple routine.
Learn the verb that goes with each noun, because that is where most mistakes happen. You make a profit or a loss, cut costs, take out a loan, meet a deadline and close a deal. Say these as one unit, not as separate words.
Watch countable and uncountable nouns. Revenue, inflation, debt (in general), cash flow and business are usually uncountable, but a debt, a loan, a deal and an invoice are countable. Business is countable when it means a company: She runs two small businesses.
British and American English differ in a few places. Turnover for total sales is mainly British; Americans usually say revenue or sales. The British often say shares and the Americans often say stock. If you use this vocabulary at work, read business email phrases and English for meetings, or follow the business English course.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Describe a company you know, or one you would like to start, in six sentences. Include its headquarters, its main competitors, its suppliers and how it makes a profit.
- Read a short business news story and write down every word from this page that you find. Then retell the story aloud in one minute using those words.
- Write a short email to a client explaining that an invoice is attached and asking them to pay before the deadline.
- Explain to a friend in simple English what inflation, interest rates and a recession are, and how they affect normal people.
- Imagine your company had a bad year. Write a short report: revenue fell, the company made a loss, and you plan to cut costs. Use at least three collocations from this page.
Common mistakes
Our company won a lot of profit last year.
Our company made a lot of profit last year.
The usual verb is make: make a profit, make a loss. Win is for games, prizes and contracts.
The bank gave me a credit to buy a car.
The bank gave me a loan to buy a car.
Money you borrow from a bank and pay back is a loan. Credit is a wider idea, like buying now and paying later, and it is usually uncountable.
We need to discuss about the budget.
We need to discuss the budget.
Discuss takes a direct object with no preposition. You can say talk about the budget or have a discussion about the budget.
Interest rates raised again last month.
Interest rates rose again last month.
Rise has no object: prices rise, rates rise. Raise needs an object: the central bank raised interest rates.
He invested to a startup.
He invested in a startup.
The verb invest goes with in: invest in a company, invest money in property.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. All the money a company gets from sales, before costs, is its ___.
2. The bakery spent more than it earned, so it made a ___.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
4. A document that tells a customer how much to pay is an ___.
5. A general rise in prices over time is called ___.
6. A bigger company bought our firm. It ___ our firm.
7. Choose the correct sentence.
8. A company that sells the same kind of products as yours is a ___.
9. We have to finish the report by Friday. Friday is the ___.
10. If a company cannot pay its debts and has to close, it goes ___.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- revenue
- loss
- We need to cut costs this year.
- invoice
- inflation
- took over
- She invested in property.
- competitor
- deadline
- bankrupt
See what the B2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
What is the difference between revenue and profit?+
Revenue is all the money a company receives from sales. Profit is what is left after you take away all the costs. A company can have high revenue and still make a loss if its costs are even higher.
Is it make a profit or win a profit?+
It is make a profit, and also make a loss. You can also say earn a profit or turn a profit, but win is not used with profit; we win contracts, deals and customers.
What is the difference between shares and stocks?+
Both mean parts of a company that you can buy. Shares is more common in British English and when you talk about one company: I own shares in that bank. Stock or stocks is more common in American English, especially for investments in general.
Which business English words should I learn first?+
Start with the words you meet every day at work: client, deadline, budget, invoice, contract, profit and loss, and the verbs that go with them, like meet a deadline and sign a contract. Then add words from business news, like inflation and interest rates.
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