What’s the Difference Between Borrow and Lend?
Many students confuse borrow and lend because both verbs are related to giving and receiving things. However, in English, the difference is very clear once you understand who gives and who receives.
This is not a grammar problem. It’s a point of view problem.
So let’s look at how we actually use these verbs in everyday English.
How We Use the Verb “Borrow”
We use borrow when you receive something from someone else. The focus is on the person who takes the object for a period of time.
We say borrow from the receiver’s perspective.
Examples of How We Say It
For example, I borrowed a book from my friend.
Here, the speaker receives the book.She borrowed some money from her sister.
Again, the action focuses on receiving.
We also say: borrow something from someone.
That structure is very common.
So, when you take something that belongs to another person, we use borrow.
How We Use the Verb “Lend”
We use lend when you give something to someone temporarily. The focus is on the person who gives the object.
We say lend from the giver’s perspective.
Examples of How We Say It
For instance, I lent my book to a friend.
Here, the speaker gives the book.He lent some money to his colleague.
The action focuses on giving.
We often say: lend something to someone.
This structure appears constantly in English.
So, when you give something and expect it back, we use lend.
Borrow vs Lend in Simple Terms
The difference becomes very easy when we compare the two.
We use borrow when you receive something.
We use lend when you give something.Borrow focuses on the receiver.
Lend focuses on the giver.
If you borrowed it, someone lent it.
If you lent it, someone borrowed it.
Using Borrow and Lend in the Same Situation
Sometimes the same situation can be described using either verb, depending on perspective.
For example:
I borrowed a pen from her.
She lent me a pen.
Both sentences describe the same event, but from different points of view.
Common ESL Mistakes to Avoid
A very common mistake is using borrow when lend is needed.
Incorrect: Can you borrow me some money?
Correct: Can you lend me some money?
Another frequent mistake is the opposite.
Incorrect: I will lend some money from my brother.
Correct: I will borrow some money from my brother.
A simple guide helps a lot:
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receive → borrow
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give → lend
Useful Sentence Patterns
Here are the patterns you hear most often in real English:
Borrow + something + from + someone
Lend + something + to + someone
Examples:
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borrow money from a friend
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lend a book to a colleague
Usage Note: What About “Loan”?
You may also see the word loan used in English, and this often causes confusion.
Loan can be both a noun and a verb.
As a noun, loan is most commonly used for money, especially in financial contexts.
Examples:
She took out a loan to pay for her course.
He will repay the loan next year.
As a verb, loan is grammatically correct, but it sounds more formal than lend.
Examples:
The bank loans money to small businesses.
The library loans books to members.
In everyday English, however, we usually say lend, not loan, when talking about giving something temporarily.
So, in practice:
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loan (noun) → very common, especially with money
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loan (verb) → correct, but formal
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lend → more natural in daily conversation
