cin4 zaai3錢債钱债
Jyutpingcin4 zaai3
Yalechìhn jaai
Definition
Monetary debt.
neutralmoney
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the financial aspect of an obligation, distinguishing it from general moral or emotional debts. It is often used in more serious or formal contexts, such as legal discussions or when describing someone's dire financial situation. When discussing everyday borrowing between friends, people usually prefer using 欠錢 or 債務 instead.
Measure word
bat1筆bātExamples
He is drowning in debt and it is really giving him a headache.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 人情債, which refers to an emotional or social debt rather than a literal monetary one. Using 錢債 to describe a favor someone owes you will sound overly transactional and cold.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
