دَيْن
daynmasculine
The English word 'debt' is translated into Arabic as دَيْن (dayn). Wiktionary also lists قَرْض (qarḍ) and قِرْض (qirḍ).
Meaning: money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| دَيْن | dayn | masculine |
| قَرْض | qarḍ | masculine |
| قِرْض | qirḍ | masculine |
The term refers to money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another.
Which one should you use?
While دَيْن (dayn) refers to the general state of owing money or a debt, قَرْض (qarḍ) specifically refers to a loan (the act of lending or the sum lent).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the noun دَيْن is دُيون.
How do you pronounce it?
dayn
Did you know?
- The root of دَيْن is shared with the word for 'religion', دِين (dīn). This links the concept of a financial obligation to the spiritual 'debt' or duty a human owes to their creator.
- The word قَرْض (qarḍ) literally comes from a root meaning 'to cut'. This reflects the ancient idea of 'cutting' a piece of wealth from one's own holdings to give to another.
- In some dialects, if someone says they have 'a debt on their neck', it refers to a heavy, inescapable obligation rather than a specific sum of money.
Examples in context
- لدي دين كبيرI have a large debt
- هذا دَيْن كبير.Hadha dayn kabir.This is a large debt.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are discussing their finances at home.
- مريم Maryamهل انتهيت من سداد الدَّيْن؟Hal intahayta min sadad al-dayn?Have you finished paying the debt?
- أحمد Ahmedليس بعد، لا يزال عليّ دَيْن.Lay-sa ba'd, la yazal 'alayya dayn.Not yet, I still have a debt.
- مريم Maryamكم يبلغ هذا الدَّيْن؟Kam yablugh hadha al-dayn?How much is this debt?
- أحمد Ahmedإنه مبلغ كبير يا مريم.Innahu mablagh kabir ya Maryam.It is a large amount, Maryam.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “debt” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
