Translation guide
A person or institution to whom money is owed. In Japanese, the most common and neutral term is 債権者, used in legal and financial contexts. For everyday situations, 貸し主 or 借金の相手 are more natural.
A person or entity to whom a debt is owed, especially in formal, legal, or business contexts.
The standard legal and financial term for 'creditor'. Used in contracts, bankruptcy, and formal documents.
A creditors' meeting was held.
He repaid the creditor in full.
Literally 'lender'. Used in economic contexts, often paired with 借り手 (borrower). Slightly less formal than 債権者.
the relationship between creditor and debtor
An older or more literary term for creditor. Rarely used in modern conversation.
The creditor appeared.
A person who has lent money in a personal, non-institutional context (e.g., a friend or acquaintance).
The person who lent the money. Natural in everyday speech when referring to the lender in a personal loan.
I still have money to pay back to the creditor.
Literally 'the person I owe money to'. A casual, roundabout way to refer to a creditor without using a formal term.
The person I owe money to came asking for it.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'the person who lent me money'. Very natural in conversation when you want to avoid technical terms.
A company or supplier that has extended credit for goods or services.
Using 債権者 in everyday conversation about personal debts can sound overly formal or legalistic. Instead, use 貸し主 or describe the person as お金を貸してくれた人.
I have to pay back the person I borrowed from this month.
債権者 is the formal legal term. 貸し手 is an economic term (lender) often used in contrast to 借り手 (borrower). 貸し主 is the everyday word for the person who lent you money.
I paid back the person who lent me money with interest.
We made a payment to the trade creditor.