欠 (qiàn) — to owe (money, debt, favor, apology); to lack, to be deficient in; (formal) to raise slightly (a part of one's body, e.g. 欠身)
Definition
欠 covers two main senses: to owe (money, an apology — 债 debt is the noun form) and to be short of something (similar to 亏's 'deficient' sense, but 欠 is the more common everyday verb).
verb
to owe (money, debt, favor, apology)to lackto be deficient in(formal) to raise slightly (a part of one's body, e.g. 欠身)
Examples
- 欠。Tā hái qiàn wǒ wǔ bǎi kuài qián méi hái.He still owes me five hundred yuan and hasn't paid it back.
- 欠。Zhè ge jì huà hái qiàn yì xiē xì jié.This plan still lacks some details.
- 欠欠。Tā zhàn qǐ lái shí wēi wēi qiàn le qiàn shēn.He slightly raised his body when standing up.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
欠 is a kneeling person with an open mouth, shown in actions such as begging, speaking, blowing, singing, or being tired.
Appears in
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