1.
bubble (physical)
A sphere of liquid enclosing air or gas.
2.
economic bubble, asset bubble
A period of rapid economic growth driven by inflated asset prices that eventually collapses. In Japan, often refers specifically to the late 1980s bubble economy.
Usage
In Japanese, バブル most often refers to the economic bubble of the late 1980s (バブル景気, roughly 1986-1991). This era is associated with extravagant spending, skyrocketing real estate prices, and eventual economic collapse.
Common collocations
- バブルが弾ける (the bubble bursts)
- バブル崩壊 (bubble collapse)
- バブル時代 (bubble era)
- バブル景気 (bubble economy)
- バブル世代 (bubble generation — people who entered the workforce during the bubble)
Etymology
From English "bubble."
Watch out
In sense 1 バブル appears mostly in loanword compounds (バブルバス, バブルラップ). Ordinary bubbles are 泡, and soap bubbles are シャボン玉.