Definition

1. Verb:
   • To ask for a delay to pay one's debts: The primary meaning is to formally request a creditor to postpone the repayment date of a debt. It implies a situation where the debtor is unable to pay on time and seeks an extension.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy phải đến nhà chủ nợ để khất nợ thêm một tháng. (He had to go to the creditor's house to ask for a delay to pay his debt for another month.)
  • Vì công việc làm ăn thất bát, ông ấy đành khất nợ với các bạn hàng. (Because his business failed, he had no choice but to ask his partners for a delay in debt repayment.)

Advanced Usage

• "Khất nợ đáo hạn": This phrase emphasizes asking for a delay specifically for a debt that is due. "Đáo hạn" means "to reach maturity/ due date".

  • Công ty đang cố gắng khất nợ đáo hạn với ngân hàng. (The company is trying to ask the bank for a delay on its maturing debt.)

• The act of "khất nợ" often carries a connotation of difficulty, embarrassment, or a last resort, reflecting a strained financial situation for the debtor.

Variants and Related Words

• Khất (verb): To ask for a delay or postponement in general. "Khất nợ" is a specific application.

  • khất tiền (to ask for a delay in paying money)
  • khất thuế (to ask for a tax payment extension)

• Nợ (noun): Debt.

• Chủ nợ (noun): Creditor.
• Con nợ (noun): Debtor.

Synonyms

• Xin hoãn nợ: To request a debt postponement. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "khất nợ".
• Xin gia hạn nợ: To request a debt extension. This is slightly more formal.

Related Phrases (No direct phrasal verb equivalent in Vietnamese)

• Đi khất nợ: To go (to someone) to ask for a debt delay. This phrase highlights the action of going to the creditor.
  • Sáng nay bố tôi phải đi khất nợ. (This morning, my father had to go to ask for a debt delay.)

Related Idioms

• While not a direct idiom with "khất nợ", the concept is related to proverbs about debt:
  • Nợ như chúa Chổm: To be deeply in debt (like Lord Chổm, a historical figure known for his debts). This describes the state of being a debtor, which may lead to having to "khất nợ".

verb

1. to ask for a delay to pay one's debts