dette
/dɛt/feminine
The French word for debt is dette.
dette refers to money that a person or entity owes or is required to pay to another. When you are expressing a debt that is owed towards a specific person, it is common to use the preposition envers.
Meaning: money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of dette is dettes.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɛt/
Did you know?
- In a figurative sense, dette can be used in the phrase dette de sang, referring to a blood debt or a lifelong obligation to someone who saved one's life.
- The term dette morale is often used in French to describe an obligation that is emotional or ethical rather than financial.
- The English word 'debt' and the French word dette share the same Latin ancestor, the word dēbitum.
Examples in context
- J'ai une dette à payer.I have a debt to pay.This sentence is useful for showing how to express having a debt that needs to be paid.Tatoeba #6463132 by Aiji, translation #2358689 by CK
- J'ai une dette envers lui.I owe him a debt.This sentence shows how to use the preposition envers when expressing a debt owed to someone.Tatoeba #3626713 by sacredceltic, translation #249978 by CK
- Je croule sous les dettes.I'm up to my ears in debt.This sentence illustrates an idiomatic way to say one is overwhelmed by debt.Tatoeba #8316101 by Julien_PDC, translation #7860593 by CK
- Le gouvernement a contracté une dette importante pour financer ses projets de développement.The government has incurred significant debt to finance its development projects.
- Il me doit encore des frics depuis notre dernier voyage.He still owes me money from our last trip.
- J'ai payé son ardoise au bar hier soir. Il me remboursera plus tard.I covered his tab at the bar last night. He will reimburse me later.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are discussing their finances.
- ManonEst-ce que tu as encore une dette ?Do you still have a debt?
- LucasOui, je dois encore payer ma dette.Yes, I still have to pay my debt.
- ManonC'est une grosse dette ?Is it a big debt?
- LucasNon, c'est une petite dette.No, it's a small debt.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “debt” translations and entries dette, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dette, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
