偿还

• Pinyin: cháng huán
• Hanzi breakdown: 偿 = 亻 (person) + 尝 (to taste/try, phonetic); 还 = 辶 (movement) + 不 (phonetic component)

Meaning

To repay; to pay back (a debt, loan, or obligation). Used for financial debts as well as metaphorical debts of gratitude.

Commonly used in financial and legal contexts for loan repayment. Can also be used figuratively to mean repaying a favor or fulfilling an obligation. More formal than 还 alone.

Examples

1. 他用了十年时间才把房贷全部偿还完毕。 It took him ten years to fully repay his mortgage.
2. 公司承诺将在年底前偿还所有欠款。 The company promised to repay all outstanding debts before year-end.
3. 我这辈子都没办法偿还你对我的恩情。 I could never repay your kindness to me in this lifetime.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, legal, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 银行要求借款人按时偿还本金和利息。(The bank requires borrowers to repay principal and interest on time.)
• 他终于偿还了多年前欠下的债务。(He finally repaid the debt he owed from years ago.)

Don't Say

• 偿还我五块钱 (For small casual debts between friends, use 还我 instead — 偿还 sounds too formal)

Origin & History

Compound of 偿 (to repay, compensate) and 还 (to return). Both characters relate to returning something owed.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal