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还债 (huán zhài) — repay a debt

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to repay a debt' — 还 handles the repayment action, 债 is the object. Focus is on paying back money owed.

verb
repay a debt

Examples

  • 还债。
    Tā nǔ lì gōng zuò wèi le huán zhài.
    He works hard to repay his debt.
  • 。
    Tā qù nián hái le liǎng cì zhài.
    He repaid the debt twice last year.
  • ，还债。
    Bié dān xīn, tā huì huán zhài de.
    Don't worry; he will repay the debt.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

还háirepay
债zhàidebt

还 gives repay and 债 gives debt, so 还债 means to repay a debt.

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 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng還hái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

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 →
Appears in
Finance & Banking

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