préstamo
“préstamo” means “loan” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
loan
Also: borrowing
📝 In Action
Necesito pedir un préstamo hipotecario para comprar la casa.
B1I need to ask for a mortgage loan to buy the house.
¿Puedes hacerme un préstamo de tu cargador por un momento?
A2Can you lend me your charger for a moment? (Can you make me a loan of your charger?)
El banco aprobó el préstamo en solo tres días.
A2The bank approved the loan in just three days.
loanword
Also: borrowing
📝 In Action
La palabra 'champú' es un préstamo del hindi a través del inglés.
C1The word 'shampoo' is a loanword from Hindi via English.
El español tiene muchos préstamos del árabe debido a su historia.
B2Spanish has many borrowings from Arabic due to its history.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: préstamo
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'préstamo' in the financial sense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the verb 'prestar' (to lend). This verb traces back to the Latin word *praestāre*, which originally meant 'to stand before' or 'to guarantee,' and later evolved into meaning 'to offer' or 'to provide.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'préstamo' and 'prestar'?
'Préstamo' is the *noun*, the thing itself (the loan, the borrowed object). 'Prestar' is the *verb*, the action of giving something to someone temporarily (to lend).
How do I say 'I borrowed a book'?
You can say 'Pedí un préstamo de un libro' (I asked for a loan of a book), but it's much more natural to use the verb 'pedir prestado': 'Pedí un libro prestado' or 'Tomé prestado un libro'.