To borrow or to lend

Question

I have a vocabulary list that says that prestar means to borrow, but when I look it up in the dictionary, it says it means to lend. Which is correct, or do you use the same word whether you are the borrower or the lender?

Answer 1

Prestar means to lend, not to borrow.

If you want to say borrow - can I borrow your shirt? You say, can you lend me your shirt. ¿me prestas tu camisa?

Or you can use this workaround, pedir prestado or dar prestado - but you're better off just learning to use borrow like this:

You want to borrow my shirt?

¿Quieres que te preste la camisa? = You want that I loan you my shirt? Yes. That is the best way to learn how to use prestar.

Answer 2

¿me prestas 5 euros? Si te presto 5 euros. Will you lend me 5 euros? Yes I will lend you 5 euros.

Answer 3

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

Voy con mucho gusto pagarte el martes para una hamburguesa que lo me puestas hoy.

Gotta luv Whimpy :) - MattM, Jan 17, 2012

Wimpy is cool!! - kdrinning, Jan 17, 2012

Answer 4

With library books it is tomar prestado un libro for borrowing or checking out a book. I suppose, literally, that is taking out a book on loan.

Answer 5

Its both. Confusing huh? But if you think of it not as borrowing but asking for something to be lent like kenwilliams said above it gets easier. Also context helps.