欠
Definitions
- 1. to owe
- 2. to lack
- 3. (literary) to be deficient in
- 4. (bound form) yawn
- 5. to raise slightly (a part of one's body)
Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.
Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.
Start Free Trial · $49.99 / year
Did Google show an error? Sorry about that. Use your email below instead.
Character focus
Stroke order
Word relationships
Antonyms
1 itemRelated words
1 itemSynonyms
2 itemsUsage notes
Collocations
欠 often pairs with 债 (zhài, debt) as in 欠债 (qiànzhài, owe a debt) or with specific amounts, e.g., 欠钱 (qiànqián, owe money).
Common mistakes
Do not confuse 欠 (qiàn, to owe/lack) with 歉 (qiàn, apology). They share pronunciation but differ in meaning.
Example Sentences
3 shown他 欠 了很多债。
我 欠 他十块钱。
Tom 欠 Mary三十元。
Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.
Words Containing 欠
in arrears
IOU
to be deficient in
see 兩不相欠|两不相欠[liǎng bù xiāng qiàn]
to be even
all we need is an east wind (idiom); lacking only one tiny crucial item
yawn
yawn
(coll.) unable to control one's tongue
balance due
(coll.) prone to touch things one should keep one's hands off of
to yawn
suboptimal
to owe a debt
improper
ill (euphemism)
annoying
(coll.) to deserve a slap in the face
to need a spanking
to owe a debt
to owe wages
to be in arrears
to owe a debt
to half rise out of one's chair (a polite gesture)
liabilities
to fall short in one's payments
lit. everything is ready, all we need is an east wind (idiom)
everything is ready, all we need is an east wind (idiom)
to fall short of
to offer credit