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"Lend" is to loan at no charge; "rent" is to give or take in exchange for payment.
Side-by-side comparison
To give something temporarily to someone at no charge. Always free between lender and borrower.
Can you lend me your pen for a second? I need to sign this.
I lent him my car for the weekend. I hope he is careful.
She is always lending her clothes to her friends.
To pay for temporary use of something, or to charge someone for temporary use of something you own.
They rent an apartment in the city center for $1,200 a month.
I rented a car for the week because mine is being repaired.
Do you rent this place or do you own it?
Common mistake
- •"I lent a car from the agency" is wrong: "lend" is always free.
- •For commercial transactions involving payment, the correct word is "rent".
- •"I rented a car from the agency" is correct.
Trick to remember it
- •The key question: is money involved? Yes = "rent".
- •No (a friend loans it for free) = "lend/borrow".
Quick rule
- •"Lend" = loan for free (no payment).
- •"Rent" = use or allow use in exchange for payment.
Did you know?
In British English, the equivalent of "rent" for short-term things (cars, tools, costumes) is often "hire": "I hired a car for the weekend." "Rent" in British English is more commonly used for long-term contracts (renting a flat, a commercial space). In American English, "rent" covers both: short and long term. "Airbnb" uses "rent" implicitly, when you book on Airbnb you are "renting" a space. And "Rent" is also a famous Broadway musical (1996) about young artists struggling to pay rent in New York. The struggle for "rent" is one of the most universal themes of contemporary urban culture.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She _____ s her spare room to a student for £500 a month.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Could you _____ me your car for the weekend? I'll fill the tank.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One is to take temporarily, the other is to give temporarily.
"Price" is the value assigned to something for sale; "cost" is what you actually pay or sacrifice to get it.
"Save" is to preserve or accumulate; "keep" is to retain or not get rid of something.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy