欠 qiàn to lack
to lack; to owe; to be deficient in
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
Originally: yawning person
The oldest form is a kneeling person with the mouth wide open.
用法
- Core verb "to owe", used for money or favors: 我欠你钱 wǒ qiàn nǐ qián, "I owe you money"; 我欠你一个人情 wǒ qiàn nǐ yí ge rénqíng, "I owe you a favor".
- Also means "to lack/be short of" more generally: 欠缺 qiànquē "to be deficient in", used for skills or resources; 经验欠缺 jīngyàn qiànquē, "lacking experience".
- 拖欠 tuōqiàn means "to be in arrears/default on payment" (拖欠工资, to withhold wages owed), a common word in labor and finance news.
- Colloquially, calling someone or their behavior 欠揍 qiànzòu ("asking for a beating") is a joking, informal insult: good to recognize even though it's slang.