Commonly Confused Words

Borrow vs. Lend

1 min de lecture

Borrow and lend describe the same action but from opposite directions. One is about receiving something; the other is about giving it.

Borrow

Borrow means to take something from someone with the intention of giving it back. The object comes to you.

Can I borrow your pen?
She borrowed my car for the afternoon.
We often borrow books from the library.

Lend

Lend means to give something to someone temporarily. The object goes from you to another person.

I can lend you some money until tomorrow.
He lent his jacket to his friend.
The bank lends money to customers.

💡 Astuce

Borrow = the item comes to you.
Lend = the item goes from you.

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