Meaning of 债
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- debt
Measure word: 筆|笔
How to use 债
债 is used for money or obligations owed, often in set phrases like 欠债 (qiànzhài, to owe a debt) and 还债 (huánzhài, to repay a debt). In formal or financial writing, 债务 (zhàiwù) and 债券 (zhàiquàn) are more common. Example: 他欠了很多债。(Tā qiàn le hěn duō zhài.) He owes a lot of debt.
债 is made of the person radical 亻 next to 责 (zé, duty or responsibility). A debt is a person's responsibility, something a person must pay back.
Common mistake: Learners often write 责 (zé) alone or forget the 亻 on the left, which changes the meaning to responsibility. Also watch the tone: 债 is fourth tone zhài, not third tone like 窄 (zhǎi, narrow).
债 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
债 zhài · debt · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 债.
Questions about 债
What does 债 mean?
债 (zhài) means "debt" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 债?
债 is made of 1 character: 债 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 债 an HSK word?
Yes. 债 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 债 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 债 is written 債.
What is the difference between 债 and 债务?
债 is the shorter, everyday word and appears in verb phrases like 欠债 and 还债. 债务 is more formal and is used in legal, business and news contexts, such as 债务危机 (zhàiwù wēijī, debt crisis).
Can 债 mean something other than money?
Yes, it can mean a moral or emotional debt. 血债 (xuèzhài) is a debt of blood owed for killing someone, and 人情债 (rénqíng zhài) is a debt of gratitude for a favor.