‘拖欠’ is a verb meaning ‘to delay payment’ or ‘to fall behind on payments’. It combines two characters: 拖 (tāo), which means ‘to drag’, ‘to postpone’, or ‘to delay’, and 欠 (qiàn), meaning ‘to owe’ or ‘to lack’. Together, they literally convey the idea of ‘dragging out what one owes’, emphasizing intentional or prolonged failure to pay money owed—such as rent, salaries, taxes, or invoices. The word carries a slightly negative connotation and implies responsibility or obligation has been neglected.

This term is commonly used in formal, administrative, or business contexts—not in casual conversation about small personal debts. It often appears in news reports, legal documents, employment discussions, and financial statements. Unlike general words for ‘owing’, 拖欠 specifically highlights the time element: the debt exists *and* remains unpaid past its due date. It’s typically followed by the object of the debt (e.g., 工资, 租金, 税款) and does not take aspect markers like 了 or 过 unless specified with time phrases.