債 meaning and stroke order
Debt, loan, liability
How to write 債, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 債
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- debt
How 債 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person's 亻 duty 責; 責 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 債
債 joins a person 亻 with 責 (zé), meaning duty or responsibility. A debt is the duty a person carries until it is paid back, and 責 also hints at the sound zhài.
債 (simplified 债) appears mostly in compounds about owing money, such as 债务 (zhàiwù, debt), 欠债 (qiànzhài, to owe a debt) and 债券 (zhàiquàn, bond). It can also be used figuratively, as in 血债 (xuèzhài, a blood debt). Example: 他终于还清了债。(Tā zhōngyú huánqīng le zhài.) He finally paid off his debt.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 債 with 責 (zé, responsibility) or 績 (jì, achievement), which share the same right side. Remember that only 債 has the person radical 亻 and is read zhài with a fourth tone.
Common words with 債
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 債
How many strokes are in 債?
債 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 債 mean?
債 (zhài) means debt, loan, liability. A common word with it is 债务 (zhàiwù), meaning "debt; liability".
How do you pronounce 債?
債 is pronounced zhài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 債?
The radical of 債 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 債 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 債?
債 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 债, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 借 and 债?
借 (jiè) is a verb meaning to borrow or lend. 债 (zhài) is a noun for the debt that results. You 借钱 (borrow money) and then you have 债 to repay.
How do you say creditor and debtor in Chinese?
A creditor is 债主 (zhàizhǔ) or 债权人 (zhàiquánrén). A debtor is 债务人 (zhàiwùrén), and someone chasing repayment is said to 讨债 (tǎozhài).