Dictionary

owe en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əʊ/ (UK)
• ō (US)
• /oʊ/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe Proto-Germanic *aiganą Proto-West Germanic *aigan Old English āgan Middle English owen English owe From Middle English owen, from Old English āgan, from Proto-West Germanic *aigan (“to own”), from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂óyḱe (“to possess, own”), reduplicated stative of *h₂eyḱ- (“to own”). See also own, ought. Cognate with Sanskrit ईष्टे (īṣṭe, “to own, possess”).

Meanings

1. (ditransitive) To be under an obligation to give something back to someone or to perform some action for someone.
   • […] To you, Antonio, I owe the most, in money and in love; And from your love I have a warranty To unburden all my plots and purposes How to get clear of all the debts I owe. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • He inherited a fair fortune from his uncle, but owed it all before he came into it, and spent it twice over immediately afterwards. 1854, Charles Dickens, chapter 7, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:
   • I owe Kevin five bucks which he lent to me last week.
   • This time I'll cover for you, but now you owe me a favour.
   • VVe owe God a death, and we can but die: 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I:
   • We owe it to our children to make our nation a better place to live in the future.
2. (intransitive) To have debt; to be in debt.
3. (transitive) To have as a cause; used with to.
   • The record owes its success to the outstanding guitar solos.

Forms

Deriveds

how much do I owe you · to what do I owe the pleasure · owe out · the world owes one a living · owe someone one · ower · owe it to oneself

Translations (99)

sl dolgovati (to be under an obligation) · eo ŝuldi (to be under an obligation) · es deber (to be under an obligation) · ga bí ar (to be in debt) · oc dever (to be under an obligation) · ru быть до́лжным (to be in debt) · fi olla velkaa (to be in debt) · fr devoir (to be under an obligation) · tr borçlu olmak (to be in debt) · it dovere (to be in debt) · es deber (to be in debt) · es adeudar (to be under an obligation) · fi olla veloissa (to be in debt) · fa مدیون بودن (to be under an obligation) · sl dolgovati (to be in debt) · el χρωστώ (to be under an obligation) · be запазы́чыцца (to be in debt) · no skylde (to be in debt) · nl schuldig zijn (to be under an obligation) · ro datora (to be in debt) · pt dever (to be under an obligation) · ru быть обя́занным (to be under an obligation) · uk пови́нний (to be under an obligation) · zza deyndarey (to be under an obligation) · uk му́сити (to be under an obligation) · de schuldig sein (to be in debt) · ca deure (to be under an obligation) · pl być zobowiązany (to be under an obligation) · grc ὀφείλω (to be in debt) · ms berhutang (to be in debt) · la dēbeō (to be in debt) · ru должна́ (to be in debt) · fa بدهکار بودن (to be under an obligation) · yue 欠 (to be in debt) · uk бу́ти ви́нним (to be under an obligation) · bg задължен съм (to be under an obligation) · ro datora (to be under an obligation) · be быць у абавя́зку (to be under an obligation) · uk ви́нна (to be under an obligation) · ja 借りがある (to be in debt) · nl schuldig zijn (to be in debt) · sh дуго̀вати (to be in debt) · hu tartozik (with -nak/-nek) (to be under an obligation) · pl mieć dług (to be in debt) · he היה חייב (to be in debt) · got 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽 (to be under an obligation) · sv vara skyldig (to be under an obligation) · gl deber (to be under an obligation) · fi olla velkaa (to be under an obligation) · zyp bah (to be under an obligation) · de schuldig sein (to be under an obligation) · ko 빚지고 있다 (to be in debt) · ru до́лжен (to be in debt) · gl deber (to be in debt) · be быць паві́нен (to be under an obligation) · ht dwe (to be in debt) · ru задолжа́ть (to be in debt) · ru быть в долгу́ (to be under an obligation) · he חב (to be under an obligation) · fr devoir (to be in debt) · ru должны́ (to be in debt) · he היה חייב (to be under an obligation) · it essere in debito (to be in debt) · ga bí ar (to be under an obligation) · es adeudar (to be in debt) · pt dever (to be in debt) · sh dugòvati (to be in debt) · bg дължа (to be in debt) · it dovere (to be under an obligation) · uk ви́нні (to be under an obligation) · sv vara skyldig (to be in debt) · el χρωστάω (to be under an obligation) · ja 負う (to be in debt) · id tagih (to be under an obligation) · got 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽 (to be in debt) · oc dever (to be in debt) · ca deure (to be in debt) · hu tartozik (to be in debt) · pl winić (to be in debt) · ru быть до́лжным (to be under an obligation) · de schulden (to be in debt) · la dēbeō (to be under an obligation) · cmn 欠債 /欠债 (to be in debt) · pl być winnym (to be in debt) · cs dlužit (to be in debt) · be быць ў даўгу́ (to be in debt) · cmn 欠 (to be in debt) · uk ви́нен (to be under an obligation) · io debar (to be under an obligation) · fa بدهکار بودن (to be in debt) · es estar en deuda (to be in debt) · de schulden (to be under an obligation) · da skylde (to be in debt) · ang sċulan (to be under an obligation) · cho ahe̱ka (to be under an obligation) · be завінава́ціцца (to be in debt) · be му́сіць (to be under an obligation) · ru быть в долгу́ (to be in debt) · pl zawdzięczać (to be under an obligation)