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Learning Japanese Through the News
The Continued Slide of the Nikkei Average
We’ll start with a bit of financial news today. The article excerpted below concerns the Nikkei Average. As detailed below, the Nikkei has been a bit of a losing streak. (Overall, though, Japan’s stock market has been improving in recent months.)
As is always the case, the financial news in Japanese contains a bit of specialized vocabulary.
Headline:
日経平均続落、終値１万７０００円割れ
Key Vocabulary:
日経平均 (にっけい へいきん) Nikkei Average
続落（ぞくらく） continued decline
終値（おわりね）closing price
割れる（われる）to split; to crack. (In this context, the meaning is that the Nikkei Average “broke” a certain level.
Article Excerpt:
東京株式市場は１０日、日経平均株価が続落し、前日終値比２３８円９８銭（１．３９％）安の１万６９５１円９３銭で取引を終え、４営業日ぶりに１万７０００円を割り込んだ。
original Japanese source: cnn.co.jp
Key Vocabulary:
割り込む（わりこむ） to squeeze into
東京株式市場（とうきょう かぶしき しじょう）Tokyo stock market
前日終値比（ぜんじつ おわりね ひ）compared to the closing price of the previous day
取引を終える（とりひき を おえる） to close trading; to end trading
４営業日ぶりに（よんえいぎょうび）in four business days; in four work days