债务人 (zhài wù rén) — debtor

Definition

Legal/formal term for a 'debtor' — the party who owes money or an obligation, used in contrast with 债权人 (creditor). Mostly appears in financial, contractual, and courtroom contexts.

noun
debtor
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 债务人。
    Fǎ yuàn pàn jué zhài wù rén bì xū huán qīng qiàn kuǎn.
    The court ruled that the debtor must pay off the debt.
  • 债务人。
    zhài wù rén Hé zhài quán rén dá chéng le hé jiě xié yì.
    The debtor and creditor reached a settlement agreement.
  • 债务人，。
    Rú guǒ zhài wù rén bù lǚ xíng yì wù, zhài quán rén kě yǐ qǐ sù.
    If the debtor does not fulfill obligations, the creditor can sue.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

债务debt
债zhàidebt务wùobligation
联合Side by side
人rénperson

债 and 务 mean debts and obligations, and 人 is the person bound by them.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 債; 债 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
責
責zé債zhài
Same sound today

The traditional form 債 combines 亻 (person) with 責 as a sound part; the simplified 债 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 债 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 務; 务 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
敄
敄wù務wù
Same sound today

In the traditional form 務, 力 shows the sense of strength or effort, while 敄 gives the sound. The simplified 务 is a later shorthand.

Open 务 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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