零落

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 零落 (れいらく) is a noun that also forms a する verb for a decline or fall from former wealth, status, or prosperity.
• Basic usage: It describes a distinguished family declining or a once-wealthy person falling into poverty.
  • 小説は名家が零落していく過程を描く。 — The novel traces the decline of a distinguished family.
  • かつての富豪も晩年には零落した。 — Even the once-wealthy person fell into poverty in old age.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Fall from prosperity
  • 零落 is more than a slight worsening: it includes a marked fall from earlier wealth, reputation, or position.