"Breaking even" in English

Question

Hi all!!

I´m learning english and I took an english test. This is one of the questions.

Man: Timothy´s business seems to be trhiving! Woman: Actually he´s only just about breaking even.

What does the woman mean?

These are the options.

a. It´s losing a lot of money. b.It´s bringing in a lot of money. c.It´s hardly making any money.

I understood Timothy´s business are growing up, but the woman doesn´t think so.

Please... what´s the correct answer... and in what case can I use the expression. Thanks for any help!!

Thriving - is growing, no up. - Eddy, Oct 25, 2010

Taking business English? - BellaMargarita, Oct 25, 2010

sorry! - Haweir, Oct 25, 2010

growing up= getting adutl!! hehe. I got it!! :D - Haweir, Oct 25, 2010

Answer 1

The answer would be c. To "break even" means that the money going out is about even with the money coming in. If you are breaking even, you are not making much money and you are not losing much money. You are staying the same. So the business would not be thriving or growing if it is just breaking even.

To answer your second question, "In what case can I use the expression," you might say "The store gave me a $10 discount on the stained shirt, but it cost me $9 to dry clean it, so it was pretty much a break even deal." - englishspeaker, Oct 25, 2010

Answer 2

y en español - salir sin ganar ni perder

Answer 3

Break even meansn your revenues equal expenses You have neither a profit nor loss..It is a business term

neither a profit nor a loss ni....ni; o...o - 0074b507, Oct 25, 2010

And in such businesses as playing poker. - samdie, Oct 25, 2010

Answer 4

Yesterday I bought a car for 100 pounds and I sold it today for 99 pounds. I almost broke even.

Es coche muy barato! - pesta, Oct 25, 2010

Answer 5

he´s only just about breaking even.

This means that he's bringing in some money, but not a lot. He has some income but he also has a lot of bills....so, he's "breaking even" between the money coming in and the bill payments going out.