还款

• Pinyin: huán kuǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 还 = 辶 + 不 simplified (movement + return); 款 = 欠 + 示 (owe + indicate, a sum owed)

Meaning

To repay a loan; loan repayment. The act of returning borrowed money to a lender according to agreed terms.

A common financial term used in banking, personal finance, and legal contexts. Collocates with 按时, 分期, 提前, and 逾期. Increasingly relevant in everyday speech due to the prevalence of credit cards, mortgages, and consumer loans.

Examples

1. 他每月按时还款，从未有过逾期记录。 He makes his payments on time every month and has never been late.
2. 贷款合同明确规定了还款方式和还款周期。 The loan contract clearly specifies the repayment method and repayment schedule.
3. 提前还款可以减少利息支出，但需要向银行提出申请。 Paying off the loan early can reduce interest costs, but you need to apply to the bank.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, banking, legal, personal finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请务必在每月还款日之前将款项转入指定账户，以免产生逾期费用。(Please make sure to transfer the funds into the designated account before the monthly repayment date to avoid late fees.)
• 银行建议借款人尽量选择等额本息的还款方式，以便做好长期财务规划。(The bank recommends that borrowers choose equal principal and interest repayments where possible, to facilitate sound long-term financial planning.)

Don't Say

• 还款 informally for paying back small amounts owed to friends — use 还钱 in casual speech; 还款 has a formal, contractual connotation suited to institutional lending

Origin & History

还 (return/repay) + 款 (funds/sum of money)

Cultural Context

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal