English–Chinese
“be behind on” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyintuō qiàn
Example
他一直拖欠房租，房东很生气。tā yì zhí tuō qiàn fáng zū fáng dōng hěn shēng qì
He has been behind on his rent, and the landlord is very angry.
How to say “be behind on” in Chinese
“Be behind on” in Chinese is 拖欠 (tuō qiàn).
A due payment stays open after its deadline, leaving an unpaid balance.
Example sentences with 拖欠
公司长期拖欠工资，引起了员工的投诉。gōng sī cháng qī tuō qiàn gōng zī yín qǐ le yuán gōng de tóu sù
The company has been behind on wages for a long time, causing complaints from employees.
Tips for using 拖欠
- In everyday conversation, 还没付 (hái méi fù, "have not paid yet") is often more natural, while this formal term appears in billing notices and contract language.