qiàn: 欠 - To Owe, To Lack, To Be Short Of

• Keywords: 欠, qiàn, qian4, owe Chinese, lack Chinese, short of Chinese, owe money in Chinese, Chinese for debt, Chinese character for owe, yawn Chinese, qiànzòu, owe a favor Chinese.
• Summary: Learn the versatile Chinese character 欠 (qiàn), a fundamental term for any beginner. While its core meaning is “to owe” money or a debt, 欠 (qiàn) also expresses “to lack” or “be short of” a quality or item. This page explores its cultural significance in social obligations, its use in common phrases like “owing a favor” (欠人情), and even its role in playful insults like “deserving a beating” (欠揍).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qiàn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To owe money or a favor; to lack or be short of something.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 欠 (qiàn) as representing a gap or a deficit. This could be a financial gap (you owe money), a social gap (you owe someone a favor), or a qualitative gap (a plan lacks consideration). It's the feeling that something is missing that should be there.

• 欠 (qiàn): This character is a pictograph of a person (人) with their mouth wide open. Its original meaning was “to yawn” or “exhale.” From the idea of expelling air and being “empty” of breath, the meaning evolved to “to lack” or “to be deficient.” This then specialized into its most common modern meaning: to lack the money you are supposed to have paid, hence, “to owe.”

In Chinese culture, 欠 (qiàn) goes far beyond a simple financial transaction. It taps into the core concepts of social harmony and interpersonal relationships (关系 guānxi). To 欠 someone a favor (人情 rénqíng) creates a social imbalance. Unlike in many Western cultures where a debt can be a sterile, purely financial matter settled by payment, a social debt in China carries an emotional weight. It's an unwritten IOU that strengthens social bonds. Repaying it isn't just about returning the favor's equivalent value; it's about showing respect, maintaining the relationship, and restoring harmony. For example, if a friend helps you move, you might feel you 欠 them a big meal or future help. This isn't a burden, but rather the glue that holds relationships together. This contrasts with a Western tendency to say “no worries, forget about it,” which can sometimes be interpreted in a Chinese context as devaluing the relationship itself.

欠 (qiàn) is used in various contexts, from formal finance to casual slang.

• 1. Owing Money or Debts: This is the most direct usage. It's used for personal loans, rent, bills, and formal debt.
  • e.g., 他欠我钱 (Tā qiàn wǒ qián) - He owes me money.
• 2. Lacking a Quality or Element: This is a more abstract but common usage, indicating something is insufficient or not up to standard.
  • e.g., 这个设计欠考虑 (Zhège shèjì qiàn kǎolǜ) - This design lacks consideration.
• 3. Colloquial Insults (Playful to Serious): In informal speech, 欠 is used to say someone is “asking for” or “deserving” something negative because of their annoying behavior. This is very common among friends and on social media.
  • 欠揍 (qiànzòu): Literally “owing a beating.” Used when someone is being extremely annoying. “You're asking for a beating!”
  • 欠骂 (qiànmà): Literally “owing a scolding.” Used when someone does something stupid or rude. “You deserve a scolding for that.”

• Example 1:
  • 他欠我一百块钱，到现在还没还。
  • Pinyin: Tā qiàn wǒ yìbǎi kuài qián, dào xiànzài hái méi huán.
  • English: He owes me 100 RMB and still hasn't paid it back.
  • Analysis: A straightforward example of 欠 for a financial debt. The verb for “to pay back” is 还 (huán).
• Example 2:
  • 你帮了我这么大一个忙，我欠你一个人情。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bāngle wǒ zhème dà yí ge máng, wǒ qiàn nǐ yí ge rénqíng.
  • English: You helped me out so much, I owe you a favor.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of social debt. 人情 (rénqíng) means “human favor” and is a key cultural concept.
• Example 3:
  • 你的计划听起来不错，但欠缺一些具体细节。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de jìhuà tīng qǐlái búcuò, dàn qiànquē yìxiē jùtǐ xìjié.
  • English: Your plan sounds good, but it's lacking some specific details.
  • Analysis: Here, 欠缺 (qiànquē) is a compound word that strongly means “to lack” or “be deficient in.”
• Example 4:
  • 别再烦我了，你是不是欠揍啊？
  • Pinyin: Bié zài fán wǒ le, nǐ shì bu shì qiànzòu a?
  • English: Stop bothering me, are you asking for a beating?
  • Analysis: This is an informal, colloquial use of 欠. The tone can range from playful between friends to genuinely angry.
• Example 5:
  • 我们公司不欠员工一分钱的工资。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī bú qiàn yuángōng yì fēn qián de gōngzī.
  • English: Our company does not owe its employees a single cent of their salary.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the negative form, 不欠 (bú qiàn), used to state that no debt exists. It's a strong declaration of fiscal responsibility.
• Example 6:
  • 这篇文章的逻辑欠说服力。
  • Pinyin: Zhè piān wénzhāng de luójí qiàn shuōfú lì.
  • English: The logic of this article lacks persuasiveness.
  • Analysis: A great example of 欠 used to describe an abstract deficiency. You can't “owe” persuasiveness, but you can “lack” it.
• Example 7:
  • 他因为赌博欠下了一大笔债。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi dǔbó qiànxià le yí dà bǐ zhài.
  • English: He ran up a huge debt because of gambling.
  • Analysis: The directional complement 下 (xià) is often paired with 欠 to mean “to incur (a debt).” 债务 (zhàiwù) means debt.
• Example 8:
  • 我觉得我欠父母太多了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juéde wǒ qiàn fùmǔ tài duō le.
  • English: I feel that I owe my parents too much.
  • Analysis: This shows 欠 used for an emotional or filial debt, which can never truly be repaid with money. It's about gratitude and a sense of obligation.
• Example 9:
  • 如果你下个月不交房租，你就欠房东两个月的钱了。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xià ge yuè bù jiāo fángzū, nǐ jiù qiàn fángdōng liǎng ge yuè de qián le.
  • English: If you don't pay rent next month, you will owe the landlord for two months.
  • Analysis: A practical sentence related to daily life, showing how 欠 is used for recurring payments like rent (房租 fángzū).
• Example 10:
  • 这个孩子身体有点欠佳，经常生病。
  • Pinyin: Zhège háizi shēntǐ yǒudiǎn qiànjiā, jīngcháng shēngbìng.
  • English: This child's health is a bit lacking (not so good), and he gets sick often.
  • Analysis: 欠佳 (qiànjiā) is a slightly more formal way to say “not good enough” or “subpar,” often used for health, performance, or quality.

• `欠 (qiàn)` vs. `少 (shǎo)`: This is a common point of confusion.
  • 欠 (qiàn) implies a deficit against a required or expected amount. It means “to be short of” what you *should* have. (e.g., 我的作业还欠一个结尾 - My homework is still short a conclusion.)
  • 少 (shǎo) simply means “few” or “a small amount.” It describes a quantity without implying a debt or requirement. (e.g., 这里人很少 - There are few people here.)
  • Mistake: Saying “我的钱很欠” is incorrect. You should say “我的钱很少” (Wǒ de qián hěn shǎo - I have little money) or “我欠钱” (Wǒ qiàn qián - I owe money).
• Emotional vs. Financial “Owe”: English speakers often limit “owe” to money. Remember that in Chinese, 欠 is just as, if not more, commonly used for social and emotional debts like favors (人情 rénqíng) and gratitude.

• * 还 (huán) - To return, to pay back. The direct antonym action to 欠. (e.g., 还钱 - huán qián, to pay back money).
• * 借 (jiè) - To borrow; to lend. The action that often creates the state of 欠.
• * 债务 (zhàiwù) - Debt. A more formal, noun-specific term for what you have when you 欠 money.
• * 人情 (rénqíng) - Human favor; social obligation. A non-financial thing that you can 欠.
• * 缺少 (quēshǎo) - To lack; to be short of. A close synonym for 欠 in its meaning of “to lack,” often interchangeable.
• * 贷款 (dàikuǎn) - A loan (from a bank). When you get a 贷款, you 欠 the bank money.
• * 欠条 (qiàntiáo) - An IOU. The physical note that proves someone 欠 you money.