Primarily used as a suffix in compounds like 国債 (government bond) or 負債 (liability). As a standalone noun, it refers to a debt or credit obligation, often in formal or legal contexts.
The yield on government bonds rose.
The company is saddled with a huge amount of debt.
債権 means the right to receive payment (a credit/claim), while 債 refers to the debt or obligation owed, so the two describe opposite sides of the same transaction.
debt; liabilities; obligation
credit; claim; obligation
debt; liabilities
government bond; government securities; national debt
bond; debenture
corporate bond; corporate debenture
public bond; government bond; public debt
issuing of bonds; flotation of bonds
foreign bond; foreign debt; foreign loan
The kanji 債 is composed of 亻 (person) and 責 (responsibility/obligation), suggesting a person's financial obligation. The reading さい is the on'yomi.
creditor
cruel creditor; bill collector; dun
domestic loan; internal bond
loan floatation; raising of a loan
school bond; school debenture
municipal bond
old debt; past debt
debt reduction; partial debt payment
blood debt
structured bond