debt

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 債 concerns debt and has the on-reading さい.
• Basic usage: 債務(さいむ) refers to a debt or obligation to fulfill, while 国債(こくさい) is a government bond.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Verbs for obligations and bonds
  • 債務を返済する means repaying debt, whereas 国債を発行する means issuing government bonds. The words occur with different verbs and contexts.