债 zhài — debt
他努力工作，终于还清了所有的债。Tā nǔ lì gōng zuò, zhōng yú huán qīng le suǒ yǒu de zhài.He worked hard and finally paid off all his debts.
Common words: 债券 (zhài quàn)、债务 (zhài wù)、了债 (liǎo zhài)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "debt"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "debt", including 债 (zhài), 帐 (zhàng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "debt" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 债 (zhài), 帐 (zhàng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhài, zhàng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 债 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 债 zhàidebtUseful words: 债券, 债务
- 帐 zhàngaccount; mosquito net; tent; curtain; debt; creditUseful words: 帐篷, 蚊帐
Common words for these 2 "debt" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 债 (zhài) — so "debt" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "debt".
帐 zhàng — account; mosquito net; tent; curtain; debt; credit
我们在野外搭起了一顶帐篷。Wǒ men zài yě wài dā qǐ le yì dǐng zhàng peng.We pitched a tent in the wild.
Common words: 帐篷 (zhàng peng)、蚊帐 (wén zhàng)、帐子 (zhàng zi)
All 2 characters
Open 债、帐 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.