abbezahlt

Abbezahlt is a German adjective and the past participle of the separable verb abbezahlen, meaning to pay off or settle a debt. It denotes that a financial obligation—such as a loan, mortgage, or invoice—has been fully cleared. In predicative use, it appears as in Der Kredit ist abbezahlt (The loan is paid off). In attributive use, it can modify a noun: ein abbezahlter Kredit (a paid-off loan), eine abbezahlte Rechnung (a paid-off bill). The attributive form follows normal German adjective declension: masculine nominative ein abbezahlter Kredit, feminine nominative eine abbezahlte Rechnung, neuter nominative ein abbezahltes Auto, and so on.

Grammar and usage notes: abbezahlen is a separable verb; present tense forms split the prefix, as in Ich zahle den Kredit ab. The past participle abbezahlt is used in perfect tenses, e.g., Ich habe den Kredit abbezahlt. The word contrasts with bezahl(t) or bezahlt, which generally means that a payment has occurred, but does not always imply that the debt was fully settled.

Etymology and context: The prefix ab- conveys completion or termination, while bezahlen means to pay. The term is common in financial, real estate, and consumer contexts in German-speaking areas and is widely understood in figurative use to indicate complete settlement of an obligation.

See also: Schuldentilgung, Tilgung, schuldenfrei, bezahl t.