Owe meaning in English

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Definition

to owe (sthg) (to sbdy): to be in debt (to sbdy) verb
The verb "to owe" is directly followed by an object (or a sum), without a preposition:
Susie owes Philip 50 dollars. She borrowed the money last week and she still hasn't returned it.
This company owes its success to Bruno Delavigne's talent. Bruno's talent is the main reason for the company's success.
I owe her my life. If she hadn't saved me I wouldn't be alive today.
You owe it to yourself to test drive a few cars before buying one. You know it's the sensible thing to do as you deserve a car that works well.
owing (to the crisis...): due to, because of, as a result of (the crisis) conjunction
How much is owed to you? How much money do they have to pay you?
Owing to their lack of customers, the store went out of business. It was due to not having any clients that the business had to close.
I owe you one!: Thanks for your help, I'll do the same for you one day! idiom

UK: Susie owes Philip 50 euros.
US: This company owes its success to Bruno Delavigne's talent.

Examples

  • "As I've been reminding you almost every day recently, your client Cosmex Inc. owes us a lot of money, and you know what they say: Money makes the world go round!"
  • "I remind you that the total balance owed by Cosmex Inc. to Delavigne Corporation amounts to one thousand, two hundred and thirteen dollars and eighty cents ($1213.80)."
  • "This letter should detail all prior communication that you've had with the client, the outstanding invoices, and the total amount owed to your company."
  • "Accounts Receivable are letters from people who owe us money – they might include checks, or requests to have payments deferred."
  • "Bruno, I owe all my success to you."
  • "Taxi Driver : This is not at all my problem. You owe me thirty dollars for the ride, and shut the door on your way out."
  • "I remind you that your company, Soppy Soaps, owes The Delavigne Corporation a total of $178,921 for this order."
  • "I owe a lot of the success of my department stores to him and his perfumes."
  • "We really avoided a disaster here, and I owe you guys."
  • "Negative equity is when you owe your bank more than your house is worth."
  • "Thanks a million Icarus, I really owe you one."
Exercise 1
Bob writes that Polly "has his word" that the network will be fully operational by the beginning of next week. The expression "You have my word" is very common in English: which of the following phrases does NOT express a similar meaning to this idiom?
Bob writes that Polly "has his word" that the network will be fully operational by the beginning of next week. The expression "You have my word" is very common in English: which of the following phrases does NOT express a similar meaning to this idiom?
This expression actually has a very similar meaning to the idiom "you have my word". To "swear" has several meanings, but in this context it is in fact synonymous with the expression "you have my word".
This expression actually has a very similar meaning to the idiom "you have my word".
This is the only expression which does not share a similar meaning with the idiom. "You have my word" is an expression which describes a promise. To "owe (money or a favor) is to have an outstanding debt, in terms of money or responsibility. For example, we could say "He owes me fifteen cents" or 'I owe you a debt of gratitude".
This expression actually has an identical meaning to the idiom "you have my word".
Exercise 2
Find the verb in the text above which means "to be in debt to" and type it below.

"We the company $3000 for creating our new website."
Find the verb in the text above which means "to be in debt to" and type it below.

"We owe the company $3000 for creating our new website."
owe: "To owe (money to someone)" is to be in debt to them financially. In other contexts it can describe a moral or ethical debt as well.
Exercise 3
Kevin tells Icarus "I really owe you one".

Choose the sentences from the list below which use the verb "to owe" correctly. There may be more than one.
Kevin tells Icarus "I really owe you one".

Choose the sentences from the list below which use the verb "to owe" correctly. There may be more than one.
The verb "to owe" cannot be used in this way. The term indicates being indebted or obliged, however the verb cannot indicate the cost or price of an apartment. However, we could say, "I owe 500 dollars to my landlord for this month's rent."
"To owe (something to someone)" is to be indebted or obliged to a person or institution. The term often carries a financial connotation, but can also be used idiomatically. Example: I owe the bank 1000 dollars over the next four years for the loan on my house. In the dialogue, Kevin is telling Icarus that in the future he will do a favor for him in exchange for, or in recognition of the help Icarus has given him.
This sentence is incomplete. We could say "I really owe you" or "I really owe you one" to express our gratitude to someone, but the sentence doesn't work without the word "you".
"To owe (something to someone)" is to be indebted or obliged to a person or institution. The term often carries a financial connotation, but can also be used idiomatically. Here the speaker is saying that their success is due to the information they received from a little red book. This is an example of the idiomatic use of the verb "to owe". In the dialogue, Kevin is telling Icarus that in the future he will do a favor for him in exchange for, or in recognition of the help Icarus has given him.
Exercise 4
"Bruno, I owe all my success to you."

Which of the following sentences use the verb to owe correctly?
Be careful, there may be more than one correct answer!
"Bruno, I owe all my success to you."

Which of the following sentences use the verb to owe correctly?
Be careful, there may be more than one correct answer!
This sentence uses "owe" correctly. "You owe it to (your girlfriend)" is an expression which indicates that someone "should" or "is obliged" to do something. Here "owe" carries the sense of strong suggestion. Note that this entire expression could be replaced with "should" (You should tell your girlfriend the truth), and still express the same general meaning. "You owe it to your girlfriend to tell her the truth" expresses that a man has an obligation to his girlfriend to be honest with her.
This sentence is incorrect. Do not confuse the term "owe" with the idiom "to own up (to something)" which means to confess or admit to something.
This sentence uses "owe" correctly. "I owe you one" is an expression formed with the verb "to owe", which means to be indebted or obliged to a person (or institution). The term often carries a financial connotation, but can also be used idiomatically as it is here. The expression "I owe you one" indicates that the speaker will eventually "return a favor", or reciprocate somehow for a service or favor. In this conversation, Horatio tells Bruno that he is indebted or obliged to him for helping him advance in his career.
This sentence uses "owe" correctly. "To owe (money to someone)" is to be indebted or obliged to a person or institution. The term often carries a financial connotation, but can also be used idiomatically. Example: I owe the bank 1000 dollars over the next four years for the loan on my house. In this conversation, Horatio tells Bruno that he is indebted or obliged to him for helping him advance in his career.
This sentence is incorrect. Do not confuse the term "owe" with the auxiliary construction "ought to" which expresses the same sense of obligation as "should". This sentence is grammatically incorrect.
Exercise 5
Why is Philip calling Bethany Belovin?

There may be more than one correct answer!
Why is Philip calling Bethany Belovin?

There may be more than one correct answer!
This statement is false. There is no indication that Bruno "owes" Bethany any money. Philip says: "one of my clients is refusing to pay". To "owe (Bruno some money)" means to "be in debt (to Bruno)" or to have a financial obligation (to Bruno). Example: "I owe him $100 for the dinner".
This statement is false. We are told that Bruno Delavigne and Bethany Belovin already know each other. When Philip mentions Bruno, Bethany says "Oh Bruno Delavigne! How is he?". Since Bethany already knows the C.E.O. of the Corporation, Philip cannot be calling her to establish a first contact. The contact already exists, and we can assume Delavigne Corp. is already Bethany's client.
This is a correct statement. Philip says "one of my clients is refusing to pay". This is the key motivation for calling Bethany. He wants her legal advice in order to make the client pay. Note, we can use the terms "won't" or "will not" to say that somebody "refuses" to do something, for example: "I've tried to tell him that he's wrong, but he won't listen".
This is a correct statement. Philip says "I have the accounts department on my back". The idiom "to have someone on your back" is used to express that the accounts department is "putting pressure" on Philip. The accounts department wants Philip to resolve a problem of three unpaid invoices. This is one of the reasons why he has phoned Bethany.
This is correct. This is one of the main objectives of Philip's phone call. He says that Bruno gave him Bethany's number in order to get "some legal advice on an escalating problem" at the Delavigne Corporation. In this context, "advice" refers to a professional opinion or recommendation.

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