Inklingo

How to Say "to loan" in Spanish

English → Spanish

prestar

/pres-TAHR//pɾesˈtaɾ/

verbA1
Use 'prestar' when lending money or formal items, or when asking someone to lend you something.
A friendly person handing a colorful umbrella to a friend during a rain shower.

Examples

¿Puedes prestarme tu bolígrafo?

Can you lend me your pen?

Mi hermano me prestó su coche el fin de semana.

My brother lent me his car over the weekend.

Lend vs. Borrow

Spanish uses 'prestar' to mean 'give for a while' (lend). To say 'receive for a while' (borrow), you must say 'pedir prestado' (literally: to ask for lent).

Who gets it?

Use little words like 'me', 'te', or 'le' before the verb to show who is receiving the item being lent.

Using 'prestar' for 'borrow'

Mistake: “Yo presté un libro de la biblioteca.”

Correction: Tomé prestado un libro de la biblioteca.

dejar

/de-HAR//deˈxaɾ/

verbB1informal
Use 'dejar' when lending an item for temporary use, emphasizing that you are allowing someone to have it for a while.
One person extending a bright yellow umbrella to a second person who is getting wet from the rain, symbolizing lending an item for temporary use.

Examples

Te dejo mi libro, pero devuélvemelo la próxima semana.

I'll lend you my book, but return it to me next week.

¿Me dejas tu paraguas? Está lloviendo mucho.

Can you lend me your umbrella? It's raining a lot.

Using 'dejar' to say 'borrow'

Mistake: “*Yo dejo tu libro. (Trying to say 'I borrow your book')”

Correction: Quiero pedir prestado tu libro. OR ¿Me dejas tu libro? 'Dejar' means to lend (to give). To borrow (to take), you use 'pedir prestado'. However, you can ask someone to lend you something by saying '¿Me dejas...?' which is the most common way to ask 'Can I borrow...?'.

Prestar vs. Dejar

Learners often confuse 'prestar' and 'dejar'. While 'prestar' is generally safer for money and formal items, 'dejar' is more common for everyday objects among friends. Don't use 'dejar' for money unless you want to sound very informal.

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