赖账

You use it as a verb. You can say someone is 'doing' it: 他想赖账. You can also use it to accuse someone directly. It is a punchy, two-character word that carries a lot of weight. Use it when the deadline has passed and the excuses start rolling in. It works for small things like a coffee or big things like a business contract.

Use it when you are 100% sure someone is dodging a payment. It is perfect for venting to a third party about a flaky friend. You can also use it in a business setting if a client is ghosting your invoices. In casual settings, it is great for playful banter during a game. If your friend loses a bet and won't pay up, shout 别赖账!

Do not use this if someone genuinely forgot or is having a hard time. It is a strong accusation of bad character. Avoid using it with your boss or elders unless you want to start a major fight. If the situation is purely professional, you might prefer 拖欠 (to delay payment). 赖账 sounds more like you are calling them a liar.

In Chinese culture, 'face' and 'trust' (信誉) are everything. Historically, failing to pay a debt was a massive stain on a family's reputation. There is an old saying that debts should be cleared before the Lunar New Year. If you 赖账 during that time, you are seen as bringing bad luck to yourself. It is considered one of the most annoying social behaviors.

You might hear 耍赖, which means to act like a brat or be unreasonable. There is also 赖皮, which describes a person who is thick-skinned and shameless. If someone is a serial non-payer, they are a 赖账鬼 (a debt-dodging ghost). These all share that core idea of being shamelessly stubborn to get out of trouble.