債

debt

債 is composed of the radical of 人 (person) and 責 (duty). The original meaning of 責 is money owed to others. Later, as 責 developed other meanings, the 人 component was added to create the character 債 in its place, further emphasizing that what is owed is someone else’s money.

Vocabulary of 債

  • 債主 (creditor)
  • 債券 (bond)
  • 國債 (national debt)

Related Characters: