负债 (fùzhài)

负债 describes the state of having debts or owing money, and in financial accounting it refers specifically to liabilities, making it essential vocabulary for finance, business reporting, and economic discussion.

Meanings

[verb] to be in debt; to owe money
[noun] debt; liabilities; indebtedness

Example Sentences

这家公司因过度扩张而负债累累。 Zhè jiā gōngsī yīn guòdù kuòzhāng ér fùzhài lěilěi. This company is deeply in debt due to overexpansion.

负债与资产的比率是评估企业财务健康的关键指标。 Fùzhài yǔ zīchǎn de bǐlǜ shì pínggū qǐyè cáiwù jiànkāng de guānjiàn zhǐbiāo. The ratio of debt to assets is a key indicator for assessing a company's financial health.

许多年轻人因为房贷而背负大量负债。 Xǔduō niánqīng rén yīnwèi fángdài ér bēifù dàliàng fùzhài. Many young people carry heavy debt burdens due to housing mortgages.

政府的外债负债水平引发了国际社会的担忧。 Zhèngfǔ de wàizhài fùzhài shuǐpíng yǐnfā le guójì shèhuì de dānyōu. The government's external debt level has raised concern in the international community.

他通过理财逐步清偿了所有负债。 Tā tōngguò lǐcái zhúbù qīngcháng le suǒyǒu fùzhài. He gradually paid off all his debts through financial planning.

合理的负债可以帮助企业实现快速扩张。 Hélǐ de fùzhài kěyǐ bāngzhù qǐyè shíxiàn kuàisù kuòzhāng. Reasonable debt can help a company achieve rapid expansion.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
负债累累 (fùzhài lěilěi)	deeply in debt; burdened with debt
负债率 (fùzhài lǜ)	debt ratio
清偿负债 (qīngcháng fùzhài)	to repay debts
负债经营 (fùzhài jīngyíng)	debt-financed operations
长期负债 (cháng qī fùzhài)	long-term liabilities

Usage Notes

负债 functions both as a verb (to be in debt / to owe) and a noun (debts / liabilities). In financial accounting it is the standard term for "liabilities" on a balance sheet, contrasting with 资产 (zīchǎn, assets). The ratio 资产负债率 (asset-liability ratio) is a core metric in business Chinese.

The compound 负债累累 (fùzhài lěilěi) is a set phrase meaning "burdened with mountains of debt."

Memory Hook

负 (to bear/carry a burden) + 债 (debt): carrying the burden of debt -- to be in debt.