負債

• Reading: ふさい
• Romaji: fusai
• Kanji breakdown: 負 (fu) — bear, owe, lose; 債 (sai) — debt, bond, obligation
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.saː/

Meaning

Debt; liabilities. Money owed or financial obligations that must be repaid.

A noun used in accounting and finance. 負債 appears on the balance sheet (貸借対照表) and represents everything a company owes to outside parties. Includes both short-term liabilities (流動負債) and long-term liabilities (固定負債). Also used in personal finance to refer to individual debt. More formal than 借金 (shakkin, debt/loan), which is used in everyday conversation.

Examples

1. 会社の負債総額が100億円を超えた。 The company's total liabilities exceeded 10 billion yen.
2. 負債を減らすために資産の一部を売却した。 We sold off some assets to reduce our liabilities.
3. 起業する際は負債のリスクも考慮すべきだ。 When starting a business, you should also consider the risk of taking on debt.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, accounting, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 負 (fu, bear/owe) + 債 (sai, debt/bond). Literally 'bearing a debt' — the financial burden one carries.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional