Borrow vs Lend at a glance
- borrow
/ˈbɒrəʊ/ · verb
To take something from someone for a short time and give it back later.
- Can I borrow your charger for a minute?
- I had to borrow money from my parents to pay the deposit.
- lend
/lend/ · verb
To give something to someone for a short time, expecting to get it back.
- Could you lend me your umbrella?
- The bank agreed to lend us the money for the car.
How to remember it
Borrow = bring it to me. Lend = let it leave me. Borrow from, lend to.
Good to know
Past forms: borrow, borrowed, borrowed; lend, lent, lent. Patterns: borrow something from someone; lend someone something or lend something to someone. In informal British English, "Can I borrow you for a minute?" means "Can I talk to you?".
Common mistakes
Wrong: Can you borrow me your pen?
Right: Can you lend me your pen?
Wrong: I lent a book from the library.
Right: I borrowed a book from the library.
Quick quiz
1.Could I your bike this weekend?
2.Will you me ten pounds until Friday?
3.You can up to six books from the library.
Pick the right word for each gap.