借条

• Pinyin: jiè tiáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 借 = 亻+ 昔 — to borrow; 条 = 夂 + 木 — strip, note, item

Meaning

IOU; written receipt for a loan. A formal document acknowledging money or items borrowed.

A legally significant document in Chinese culture, especially for personal loans between individuals. Contains the amount borrowed, repayment terms, and signatures. Having a 借条 makes debt recovery much easier in legal disputes.

Examples

1. 借钱给朋友一定要打借条，口说无凭以后容易产生纠纷。 When lending money to friends, you must have them sign an IOU — verbal agreements can easily lead to disputes later.
2. 他找我借了五万块钱，但拒绝写借条，这让我很为难。 He borrowed fifty thousand yuan from me but refused to write an IOU, which put me in a difficult position.
3. 法院判决时，原告提供的借条成为关键证据。 During the court ruling, the IOU provided by the plaintiff became key evidence.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, legal, personal loans

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 你能写张借条吗？(Can you write an IOU?)
• 这是他签的借条。(This is the IOU he signed.)

Don't Say

• 对正规银行贷款说'借条' (Don't use 借条 for formal bank loans — 借条 is for informal personal loans; bank documents are called 贷款合同)

Origin & History

Composed of 借 (to borrow) + 条 (slip; note). A slip of paper documenting a loan.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal