Meaning
This verb phrase literally means 'to owe money' and is used when someone has borrowed money and hasn't paid it back yet. It's a straightforward compound combining 欠 (to owe, to lack) with 钱 (money). The phrase can describe both formal debts and informal situations where you owe a friend.
Usage
Commonly used in everyday contexts when discussing personal or business debts. Often appears in patterns like '欠某人钱' (to owe someone money) or '被欠钱' (to be owed money by someone). The tone is neutral but the situation itself may carry social implications about responsibility and trust.
Examples
- 01他欠我三千块钱，已经半年了还没还。, .He owes me 3,000 yuan and still hasn't paid me back after half a year.
- 02我不喜欢欠钱的感觉，所以总是尽快还清。, .I don't like the feeling of owing money, so I always pay it back as soon as possible.
Characters
Common collocations
- 欠某人钱to owe someone money
- 欠了一屁股债to be heavily in debt (colloquial)
- 欠钱不还to owe money and not pay it back
Antonyms
Origin
A straightforward compound where 欠 (originally depicting a person yawning/opening mouth, extended to mean 'lacking') combines with 钱 (money) to create the literal meaning of lacking money owed to someone.