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Borrow, lend, or rent
You borrow something you receive, you lend something you give, and you rent something when money is paid for its use.
Quick rule
Is it coming to you? Borrow. Going from you? Lend. Is someone paying for its use? Rent.
To take and use something that belongs to someone else and give it back later: Can I borrow your pen?
To give something for a while, expecting it back. The person often follows it: lend me your pen. Past: lent.
To pay to use something (rent a car) or to let someone use what you own for payment (rent out a room).
How to choose
| Question | borrow | lend | rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do you receive the thing? | Yes | No | SometimesSometimes |
| Is a rent or a fee paid for using it? | SometimesSometimes | SometimesSometimes | Yes |
| Can the person come right after it (___ me the book)? | No | Yes | SometimesSometimes |
Why it trips people up
Borrow and lend describe the same deal from opposite sides: the receiver borrows, the giver lends. Rent adds money: you pay to use something, or you charge others to use what you own (rent out).
How each one works
Borrow
Asking to use something
Can I borrow your charger?
Borrow + from: the source
I borrowed three books from the library.
Money from a bank or a person
They borrowed money to start the business.
Lend
Lend + person + thing
Can you lend me ten dollars?
Lend + thing + to + person
I lent my bike to my cousin.
Banks lend with interest
The bank won't lend us the money.
Rent
Paying to use something
We rented bikes for the afternoon.
Paying to live somewhere
Do you rent or own your apartment?
Rent out: charging for your place
She rents out a room to a student.
What comes next
borrow plus thing plus from plus person
I borrowed a tent from my uncle.
lend plus person plus thing
Could you lend me your umbrella?
lend plus thing plus to plus person
She never lends her books to anyone.
rent plus thing
Let's rent a cabin by the lake.
rent out plus thing plus to plus person
They rent out their garage to a neighbor.
Set phrases
Borrow
- on borrowed time
- still alive or working after you were expected to stop
Lend
- lend a hand
- to help someone
- lend an ear
- to listen kindly to someone
Rent
- for rent
- a sign that means a place is available to rent
Almost the same
I borrowed a bike from Sam.
You received it.
I lent a bike to Sam.
You gave it.
I rented a bike from a shop.
You paid to use it.
In a conversation
- A:
Can I borrow your car on Saturday?
- B:
Sorry, I already lent it to my sister.
- A:
Oh well. I'll rent one, then.
- B:
Try the place near the station. It's cheap.
Common mistakes
Wrong: Borrow me your pencil for a sec.
Right: Lend me your pencil for a sec.
Merriam-Webster labels borrow in the sense of lend as dialect. In standard English, the giver lends and the receiver borrows.
Wrong: I lended him my laptop last week.
Right: I lent him my laptop last week.
Lend is irregular: the past is lent, not lended.
Memory trick
Ask who ends up holding it. You receive it: borrow. You hand it over: lend. Someone pays to use it: rent.
It depends
- Rent or hire
- In British English you hire something for a short time and rent it for longer; in North American English, rent covers both (Oxford).
FAQ
Borrow or lend: which one?
The person receiving something borrows it; the person giving it lends it. Can I borrow your pen? and Can you lend me your pen? ask for the same thing.
Lend or rent: what is the difference?
Lend means letting someone use something of yours for a while, often for free between friends. Rent means money is paid for the use.