债

• Pinyin: zhài
• Hanzi breakdown: 债 = 亻 (person) + 责 (responsibility, phonetic)

Meaning

Debt; money or obligation owed to another person or entity.

Can refer to financial debts, loans, or bonds. Also used figuratively for emotional or moral obligations one feels toward others. Common in expressions about gratitude, guilt, or unfinished obligations.

Examples

1. 他为了买房背了三十年的房贷债务。 He took on a thirty-year mortgage debt to buy a house.
2. 父母的养育之恩是我们一辈子都还不清的债。 The kindness of our parents in raising us is a debt we can never fully repay.
3. 公司发行了一批企业债来筹集扩张资金。 The company issued a batch of corporate bonds to raise funds for expansion.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, daily life, figurative

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 欠债还钱，天经地义。(Paying back debts is only natural.)
• 我欠你一份人情债。(I owe you a debt of gratitude.)

Don't Say

• 我有很多健康债。(Unusual usage — for health issues, say 健康问题 or 亏欠身体)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character combining 亻 (person radical) and 责 (responsibility, phonetic). Originally meant a person's responsibility or obligation to repay.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal