債権

• Reading: さいけん
• Romaji: saiken
• Kanji breakdown: 債 (sai) — debt, bond, loan; 権 (ken) — right, authority
• Pronunciation: /sa.i.keɴ/

Meaning

Credit; claim; receivable. A legal right to demand payment or performance from another party.

A legal and financial noun. Key collocations: 債権者 (creditor), 債権回収 (debt collection), 不良債権 (bad debt/non-performing loan). Distinct from 債務 (saimu, debt/liability) — 債権 is the creditor's side (the right to collect), while 債務 is the debtor's side (the obligation to pay). Essential vocabulary for finance and law.

Examples

1. 銀行は不良債権の処理に長年苦しんできた。 Banks have struggled for years to deal with non-performing loans.
2. 債権者との交渉がようやくまとまり、返済計画が決まった。 Negotiations with creditors finally came to an agreement, and a repayment plan was settled.
3. 債権を売却して資金を早期に回収する手法が広まっている。 The practice of selling off receivables to recover funds early is becoming more widespread.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, law, banking

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 債 (sai, debt/bond) + 権 (ken, right/authority). Literally 'debt right' — the right held by a creditor to demand repayment.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional