What it means
بدهکار (bedehkār) is a pure-Persian compound: بده (bedeh) is the imperative of دادن (dādan, “to give”) and کار (kār) means “doer” or “agent”. Together they literally describe “one who is required to give”, which maps neatly onto the concept of a debtor. The word functions both as a noun (“debtor”) and as an adjective (“indebted, owing something”). Its opposite is طلبکار (talabkār, “creditor”), which follows the same pattern with طلب (talab, “claim, demand”) instead of بده. In casual speech بدهکار is also used figuratively: “من به تو بدهکارم” can mean “I owe you one” without any financial transaction involved.
How to use it
- به بانک بدهکارم. (be bank bedehkāram.) “I am in debt to the bank.”
- اون آدم بدهکار زیاد داره. (oon ādam bedehkār-e ziād dāre.) “That person has many debtors.”
- به خاطر کمکت بهت بدهکارم. (be khāter-e komakat behet bedehkāram.) “I owe you for your help.”
- بدهکارا باید قرضشون رو پس بدن. (bedehkārā bāyad qarzeshun ro pas bedan.) “Debtors must repay their debts.”
Cultural note
In Persian culture the concept of بدهکار extends well beyond finance. The phrase “به تو بدهکارم” (I am indebted to you) is a sincere and common way to express gratitude for a significant favor, treating social obligations with the same moral weight as financial ones. Islamic law in Iran distinguishes between productive debt (قرضالحسنه, qarz-ol-hasane, an interest-free benevolent loan) and commercial debt, and both forms carry strong ethical expectations of repayment. Dying in debt is considered spiritually and socially serious, which is why many Iranians make deliberate arrangements to settle debts before the end of life.