About
The character "偿", meaning to repay or compensate, derives from its traditional form "償", structured with the human radical "亻" and the phonetic component "嘗", which originally meant to taste but here primarily indicates pronunciation. This combination initially conveyed the idea of a person settling a debt or fulfilling an obligation, often in a material sense. Over centuries, the meaning expanded beyond financial reimbursement to encompass compensating for any loss or wrong, as well as satisfying desires or meeting demands. The simplified form "偿" maintains the radical "亻" but substitutes the phonetic with "尝", the simplified version of "嘗", thus reflecting a phonetic adjustment while continuing to denote actions related to reparation or fulfillment.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他偿还了债务。
公司愿意补偿损失。
下个月我必须偿还信用卡。
如果无法偿还贷款，银行会收取利息。
为了补偿他的错误，他做了额外的工作。
债务已经被清偿了。
尽管他无偿提供了服务，但他希望得到一些补偿。
根据合同，他们必须按期偿还本金和利息。