借条
jiè tiáo · HSK 7
receipt for a loan
🧾 借条 = 借 borrow + 条 slip = a borrow-slip, the IOU you sign for a loan
借 means borrow or lend; 条 is a thin strip or written slip (same 条 as in 便条, a note). Put them together and you get the slip of paper that records a debt: an IOU or loan receipt.
借 — person radical 亻 + 昔 (formerly)
借 combines the person radical 亻 with 昔, which provides the sound and originally meant 'former times.' The character depicts a person engaging in an act tied to time — borrowing or lending something with the expectation of return. Today it means 'to borrow' or 'to lend.'
条 — 攵 (tap) + 木 (tree); originally 攸 + 木
Originally written with 攸 (a flowing stream) over 木 (tree), 条 depicted slender twigs or branches of a tree. The meaning extended from 'thin branch' to any long, narrow item, then to 'strip,' 'item,' or 'article' as a measure word. The modern simplified form keeps 攵 over 木.