Definition

1. Noun:

   • Debt: Money, goods, or services that one person or entity owes to another, typically as a result of borrowing or a purchase on credit.
   • Obligation: A figurative duty or responsibility one feels bound to fulfill, often arising from gratitude, love, or a sense of moral duty.

2. Verb:

   • To owe: To be under an obligation to pay or repay money, or to return a favor or service.
   • To be indebted for: To have a moral or emotional obligation to someone for their kindness or help.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ta có một món nợ lớn ở ngân hàng. (He has a large debt at the bank.)
  • Tôi coi đây là một món nợ ân tình. (I consider this a debt of gratitude.)
• Verb:
  • Tôi nợ bạn 100.000 đồng. (I owe you 100,000 dong.)
  • Cô ấy nợ anh ấy một lời giải thích. (She owes him an explanation.)

Advanced Usage

• "Nợ nần": Debts (plural, often implying a burdensome amount).
  • Công ty đang chìm trong nợ nần. (The company is drowning in debts.)
• "Nợ đời": A figurative, often romantic, debt from a past life or a deep, inescapable bond.
  • Có lẽ đây là nợ đời của tôi. (Perhaps this is my fateful debt from a past life.)

Variants and Related Words

• Con nợ (n): Debtor; a person who owes money.
  • Con nợ đã trốn khỏi thành phố. (The debtor fled the city.)
• Chủ nợ (n): Creditor; a person or institution to whom money is owed.
  • Chủ nợ đang đòi tiền. (The creditor is demanding payment.)
• Nợ xấu (n): Bad debt; a debt that is unlikely to be paid.
  • Khoản nợ xấu đã được xóa sổ. (The bad debt was written off.)

Synonyms

• Debt: Liability, arrears.
• To owe: To be in debt, to be liable for.

Related Idioms

• Nợ như chúa Chổm: To be up to one's ears in debt; to be deeply indebted.
  • Công ty đó giờ nợ như chúa Chổm. (That company is now up to its ears in debt.)
• Trả nợ đời: To fulfill one's destiny or pay a karmic debt.
  • Anh ấy đi xa như để trả nợ đời. (He went far away as if to fulfill his destiny.)
• Nhất tội, nhì nợ: A saying meaning "First is crime, second is debt," highlighting the burdensome nature of debt.
  • Ông bà có câu "nhất tội, nhì nợ". (There is a saying, "First is crime, second is debt.")

noun

1. debt
   • người mắc nợ
     debtor

verb

1. to owe