owed

/əʊ/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈod] /oʊ/ (ame, ipa)

owed — verb

  • owedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • oweds3rd person singular
  • oweding-ing form
  • owededpast simple

1. to be required to give a sum of money to someone who lent it to you or who provi

1.動詞及物A2
釋義

to be required to give a sum of money to someone who lent it to you or who provided goods or services that you received; can also refer to giving someone something like an apology or thanks because of something that happened

例句

After the concert, Dario realized he owed Liam fifty dollars for the tickets Liam had bought.

owe + [person] + [amount] + for [reason]

Sofie checked her notebook to calculate how much she still owed the bookstore for the used textbooks.

同義詞
  • be in debt

    describes a general financial state rather than a specific amount owed to a specific person

  • be indebted to

    more formal; can refer to both money and gratitude ('I am indebted to my uncle')

  • be liable for

    legal or formal context; implies an official obligation

反義詞

文法句型

owe + [person] + [money/amount]

owe + [money/amount] + to + [person]

owe + [person] + [abstract noun (e.g. apology, thanks)]

用法筆記

Takes two objects: the person and the thing owed. The person comes first without 'to' (e.g. 'I owe him $20'), not *'I owe $20 to him' in everyday speech. This sense is stative and almost never used in continuous forms — do not say *'I am owing him money.'

常見錯誤

❌I am owing my friend fifty dollars.
✅I owe my friend fifty dollars.
💡'Owe' is a stative verb and is not used in continuous (-ing) forms.
❌I owe to the bank $5,000.
✅I owe the bank $5,000.
💡The person or institution comes directly after the verb, without 'to'.
❌I owed $20 for him.
✅I owed him $20.
💡'For' introduces the reason, not the recipient. Use 'for' only for the goods or service.

2. to have achieved something good or to be in a certain positive situation only be

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to have achieved something good or to be in a certain positive situation only because of someone else's help, actions, or qualities — for example, owing your career success to a teacher who encouraged you, or owing your calm attitude to years of practice

例句

Abigail owed her fluency in Spanish to the years she spent living in Madrid.

owe + [possession/ability] + to [cause]

Faisal said he owed his promotion to the training program his company had offered.

同義詞
  • attribute to

    more formal and deliberate; used for acknowledging the cause or source

  • credit

    can be used as a verb ('I credit her with my success') — focuses on giving recognition

  • be indebted to

    strong emotional tone; expresses deep gratitude along with attribution

反義詞
  • disclaim

    refuse to acknowledge a cause or source

  • take credit for

    opposite perspective — claiming the achievement for oneself

文法句型

owe + [noun/achievement] + to + [person/thing]

owe it to + [person] + that-clause

owe [someone] a debt of gratitude (formal)

用法筆記

The thing received (success, skill, quality) comes directly after 'owe'; the source of credit comes after 'to'. This sense often implies gratitude. For inanimate subjects, the structure 'A owes its [quality] to B' is common ('The city owes its charm to its old streets').

常見錯誤

❌I owe to my teacher my English ability.
✅I owe my English ability to my teacher.
💡The thing owed comes before 'to'; the source comes after.
❌I owe my success because of my parents.
✅I owe my success to my parents.
💡Use 'to', not 'because of', to indicate the source of credit.
❌The company owes its growth for the new manager.
✅The company owes its growth to the new manager.
💡Use 'to' for the person responsible, not 'for'.