Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be in debt / to owe money: The primary meaning of "mang nợ" is to be in a state of owing money to someone else, to have a financial debt.
   • To be indebted (figurative): It can also describe a state of owing a non-material debt, such as a profound obligation or favor that one feels must be repaid.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Công ty đó đang mang nợ hàng triệu đô la. (That company is in debt for millions of dollars.)
  • Tôi mang nợ anh ấy một ân huệ lớn. (I owe him a great favor. / I am indebted to him for a great kindness.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a heavy, burdensome connotation, implying the debt is a significant weight or responsibility one carries ("mang" means to carry or bear).

Variants and Related Words

• Mắc nợ (v): a very close synonym, also meaning to be in debt or to owe.

  • Ông ấy mắc nợ vì đầu tư thất bại. (He is in debt due to a failed investment.)

• Có nợ (v): to have a debt.

  • Tôi có nợ ngân hàng. (I have a debt with the bank.)

Synonyms

• To be indebted: To owe gratitude or money.
• To owe: To be under obligation to pay or repay.

Related Idioms

• Mang nợ như chúa Chổm: To be deeply in debt (literally: to be in debt like Lord Chổm, a proverbial figure known for his debts).
  • Sau vụ kinh doanh, ông ta mang nợ như chúa Chổm. (After the business venture, he was up to his ears in debt.)