Related words 借金 is the everyday word for personal debt or borrowing, while 債 is a formal, often bound morpheme used in financial compounds like 国債 .
債務 specifically denotes a legal obligation to pay, whereas 債 is the broader formal term for a debt or bond, often used as a suffix.
Word family· 56 debt; liabilities; obligation
credit; claim; obligation
debt; liabilities
government bond; government securities; national debt
bond; debenture
Show 14 more Show fewer corporate bond; corporate debenture
public bond; government bond; public debt
issuing of bonds; flotation of bonds
foreign bond; foreign debt; foreign loan
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
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Etymology 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.
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