欠条

• 拼音: qiàn tiáo
• 汉字拆解: 欠 = 人 + 欠 (person leaning — owing); 条 = 木 + 攸 (a long thin piece — a slip or strip)

含义

An IOU; a written note acknowledging a debt. A personal document stating the amount owed, often signed and dated.

Commonly used in informal lending between individuals. More personal and less legally rigorous than a 借据 (formal loan receipt). While a 欠条 carries some legal weight, disputes over them frequently end up in civil courts due to their informality.

例句

1. 他向好友借了一笔钱，立即手写了一张欠条作为凭证。
2. 法庭上，原告出示了被告亲笔签名的欠条，要求对方偿还借款。
3. 那张欠条被他压在抽屉最深处，每次翻出来心里都不是滋味。

用法指南

语境: finance, legal, everyday

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 如果你要借钱给朋友，最好让对方写一张欠条，注明金额、还款日期及双方签名，以免日后产生纠纷。(If you are going to lend money to a friend, it is best to have the other party write an IOU clearly stating the amount, repayment date, and signatures of both parties, so as to avoid disputes in the future.)
• 他整理遗物时发现了父亲留下的几张旧欠条，才知道父亲生前曾慷慨借助过许多有困难的邻居。(When sorting through the belongings, he found several old IOUs left by his father and only then realised that his father had generously lent money to many neighbours in need during his lifetime.)

错误说法

• 请给我一张欠条 — 欠条 is issued by the debtor, not requested by the creditor; say 请你给我写一张欠条 (please write me an IOU) so the direction of the action is correct

起源与历史

欠 (to owe) + 条 (a strip/slip of paper)

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal