to owe someone a favor
32
3.3
- phrasal verb
:
deber un favor a alguien
- You know, I feel like I owe you a favor.
- owe me a big favor
- owe her a couple of favors
- owe you a favor now
Examples
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Someone who owes me a favor.
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I owe him a favor now.
Fiction book (1991) -
I know a guy in the evidence room, and he owes me a favor.
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She owes me a favor.
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And I've got a buddy that owes me a favor, and I think that he can help give your parents the time that they need.
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There can't be many people in this business who don't owe you a favor.
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Father Velasco, who said he owed the photographer a favor, hosted the reunion between the two men.
Fiction book (1996) -
After helping me find a job, I realized I really owe someone a favor.
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Since she helped me move last weekend, I now owe her a favor.
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He saved my presentation by lending me his notes, so I definitely owe him a favor.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Have to pay or give something to someone
How Much
∞
1.0
32
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to be under an obligation to help someone in return' is directly derivable from combining 'owe' (to be indebted) with 'a favor' (a kind action), so the overall sense is compositional. This construction is common and mirrors patterns in many languages, making it readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
The phrase owe someone a favor comes from the image of a social 'debt': if someone helps you, you owe them a favor, like owing money. That's why it means 'to have to help someone in return'.