schulden
owe
Geld oder Dinge, die man jemandem zurückgeben oder bezahlen muss.
The German word "schulden" is a verb that means "to owe" or "to be indebted". It is related to "Schuld," which means "debt" or "guilt." In context, "schulden" signifies having an obligation to pay someone for something received or done.
Similar words in German include "verpflichten" (to obligate) and "schuldig sein" (to be in debt or to be culpable).
The difference lies in nuances: while "schulden" specifically refers to financial or material obligations, "verpflichten" may imply moral or contractual obligations, and "schuldig sein" often encompasses a sense of guilt, not strictly related to financial contexts.
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Examples
Er schuldet mir noch zwanzig Euro.verb
He still owes me twenty euros.
Du schuldest ihm eine Erklärung.verb
You owe him an explanation.
Wegen des teuren Autos schuldete der Mann der Bank viel Geld.verb
Because of the expensive car, the man owed the bank a lot of money.
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