French word

dette

Pronunciation

IPA/dɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine noundebt

Example

J'ai contracté une dette pour payer mes études.

I incurred a debt to pay for my studies.

Illustration for dette (debt)

More examples

Elle essaie de rembourser sa dette le plus vite possible.

She is trying to repay her debt as quickly as possible.

Core concept

A financial burden owed to another person or institution and carried until it is repaid.

Common phrases

  • contracter une dette

    incur a debt

  • rembourser une dette

    repay a debt

  • payer une dette

    pay a debt

Similar words

emprunt: Funds borrowed for later repayment.
prêt: Funds offered to someone as a loan.
remboursement: The act of repaying borrowed funds.
intérêt: An extra payment charged for borrowing money.

Definition in French

Obligation financière qu'une personne a envers un créancier, souvent née d'un prêt ou d'un paiement différé.

Word origin

French dette comes through Old French from Latin debitum, the neuter past participle of debere, meaning to owe.

Usage tips

  • Dette is feminine, so standard forms include une dette, la dette, and cette dette.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word