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放债 (fàng zhài) — to lend money at interest

Definition

To lend money at interest — typically by a private lender, not a bank. Compare 贷 (dài), the formal verb used in banking and financial contexts.

verb
to lend money at interest

Examples

  • 放债。
    Tā kào fàng zhài zhuàn qián.
    He makes money by lending money at interest.
  • 。
    Tā gěi péng you fàng guò yí cì zhài.
    He lent money to a friend once.
  • 放债。
    Yín háng bù qīng yì fàng zhài gěi gè rén.
    Banks don't easily lend money to individuals.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

放fànglend out
债zhàidebt/loan

放 (lend out) and 债 (debt/loan) together mean putting out money as 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →

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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