Money and banking / A2

OH/əʊ/

Owe means you must pay money back, or you should thank someone: owe someone £20, owe an apology, owe it to. Borrow is take; lend is give; owe is still unpaid. Own is a different verb (possess). Do not write owe when you mean own, or oh.

Meaning

To need to pay money back, or to feel you should thank someone.

Examples

• “I owe you ten pounds for the taxi.”
• “Do not forget you owe me for the cinema tickets.”
• “I owe my neighbour a favour after she watered the plants.”

Good to know

owe someone money / an apology. Contrast: borrow, lend. Mix-up: own.

Topics

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