Sign in
Repair, fix, or mend
Repair is to fix something broken and is the noun for the work, fix is the everyday word, and mend is to repair damage or to heal.
Quick rule
Spanish says "arreglar" for all three. Something broken, or the work? Repair. A problem, food, or hair? Fix. Clothes, damage, or health? Mend.
To fix something that is broken, damaged, or torn: repair a car, repair relations. As a noun, it is the work done.
To repair something, solve a problem, or prepare something, such as food or your hair. It is the everyday word.
To repair something damaged, such as clothes or shoes. It also means to heal, or to improve a relationship.
How to choose
| Question | repair | fix | mend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does it work for a problem, food, or hair (___ the bug, ___ dinner, ___ my hair)? | SometimesSometimes | Yes | SometimesSometimes |
| Is it the noun for a workshop (a car ___ shop)? | Yes | No | No |
| Does it talk about someone getting better (His arm is ___ing well)? | No | No | Yes |
Why it trips people up
Repair, fix, and mend overlap on broken objects, so they are often swapped. They split apart on other uses: repair is also the noun, fix also solves problems and prepares food, and mend is the one that also means to heal.
How each one works
Repair
Fixing a machine
The mechanic repaired the brakes in one afternoon.
Fixing something public
The city repaired the cracked sidewalk last week.
Figurative: a relationship
It took years to repair their relationship.
Fix
Repairing something broken
Can you fix the leaking faucet?
Solving a problem
Our team fixed the error in the report before sending it.
Preparing food or a drink
Can I fix you a sandwich?
Mend
Repairing clothes
She mended the hole in my sock.
Repairing something damaged
Dad mended the broken fence over the weekend.
Healing: getting better
His broken arm is mending well.
What comes next
repair plus something broken
They repaired the roof after the storm.
repair plus work / shop / bill
The repair costs were higher than I expected.
fix plus problem or error
We fixed the problem with the website.
fix plus person plus food or drink
She fixed us some pancakes.
mend plus clothes or damaged thing
He mends his own jeans.
be mending (health)
The patient is mending well.
Set phrases
Repair
- repair the damage
- to improve a bad situation after something went wrong
- repair relations
- to make a relationship good again
Fix
- fix a date
- to decide on a date
- fix someone a drink
- to make a drink for someone
Mend
- mend your ways
- to stop behaving badly
- least said, soonest mended
- a bad situation will be forgotten faster if nobody talks about it
Almost the same
I repaired the bike.
Something broken, working again.
I fixed the bike.
The usual word in conversation.
I mended the bike.
It sounds like careful repair of damage.
She fixed her hair.
She styled it.
Her arm is mending.
It is healing.
In a conversation
- A:
My jacket has a big hole, and the zipper is broken too.
- B:
I can mend the hole tonight and fix the loose button. The zipper needs a repair, so ask the tailor on Main Street.
- A:
Great. Can you wait here while I look for the receipt?
- B:
Sure!
Common mistakes
Wrong: I repaired my hair before the interview.
Right: I fixed my hair before the interview.
Oxford lists fix for making your hair neat. Repair is for broken or damaged things.
Wrong: The doctor said his arm is repairing well.
Right: The doctor said his arm is mending well.
For a body that heals, the verb is mend (mending slowly after the operation), not repair.
Memory trick
Think about the thing. If a workshop handles it, or it is the name of the job, repair. If it is a problem, dinner, or hair, fix. If it is clothing, a fence, or someone healing, mend.
It depends
- More meanings of fix
- Oxford also lists fix for setting a date or price (fix a date), attaching something (fix a shelf to the wall), and preparing food.
- Register of mend
- Oxford labels mend (something broken) as British and mend for health as old-fashioned; in the US, repair, fix, and heal are more common.
- Relationships and differences
- With relationships, repair and mend are the usual verbs: repair relations, mend relations, mend fences. Fix sounds more mechanical there.
FAQ
What is the difference between mend and repair?
Both mean to fix damage. Repair is also a noun (repair work), while mend is also used for healing (mending slowly).
What is the difference between mend and fix?
Both can mean repairing an object. Fix also solves problems and prepares food, while mend also means to heal.
What is the difference between repair and fix?
Both mean making something broken work again. Fix is the usual word in conversation and also covers problems, food, and hair.