lend
lend — verb
1. To let another person use an item that is yours, on the understanding that they
To let another person use an item that is yours, on the understanding that they will return it after a short period.
Jason lent Eshe his bicycle for the weekend trip to the beach.
lend + person + thing
Could you lend me a pen? I forgot to bring mine to class.
request form: could you lend me...
The librarian said she cannot lend magazines to students overnight.
Sora asked the neighbour to lend him a ladder so he could clean the gutters.
My grandmother never lends her jewellery to anyone, not even her own children.
- loan
More common in American English; can be used as a verb similarly to lend
- let someone use
Less formal; emphasises permission rather than temporary transfer
文法句型
lend + person + thing
lend + thing + to + person
用法筆記
Frequently used in the double-object construction: lend + person + thing (e.g. lend me a book). The opposite action is borrow: you borrow from someone who lends to you.
常見錯誤
2. When a bank supplies money to a borrower who must repay the sum received, usuall
When a bank supplies money to a borrower who must repay the sum received, usually while charging a fee known as interest for the service.
The bank agreed to lend the Watanabe family enough money to buy their first home.
lend + family + money + purpose
Bilal is worried that the credit union will not lend him the funds he needs for his business.
Small banks often lend money to local farmers at lower interest rates than large institutions do.
The government lent five million dollars to the railway company to repair damaged tracks.
- advance
More formal; often used for money given before it is earned or due
- provide credit
Focuses on the arrangement rather than the transfer
文法句型
lend + money + to + person / organization
lend + person / organization + money
用法筆記
Subject is typically a financial institution (bank, credit union, government), though individuals can lend money informally to each other. The interest rate is the percentage the borrower pays extra.
常見錯誤
3. A thing or feature gives a particular character or impression to a person, place
A thing or feature gives a particular character or impression to a person, place, or situation, making that quality noticeably part of it.
The warm lighting in the café lends a cosy atmosphere to the whole room.
lend + quality + to + place (abstract quality)
Isabela's years of teaching experience lend credibility to her new book about education.
experience + lends + credibility + to + noun
The old stone walls lend a feeling of history to the newly renovated building.
Rodrigo's calm voice lent an air of authority to the emergency announcement.
- remove
Take away a quality
- detract from
Reduce the positive quality of something
文法句型
lend + quality noun + to + noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually an abstract thing (feature, quality, experience) rather than a person acting deliberately. Not used in imperative form. Frequently appears in formal or descriptive writing.
4. Used to say that something is naturally appropriate for a particular purpose, us
Used to say that something is naturally appropriate for a particular purpose, use, or way of being interpreted.
This novel lends itself well to being adapted into a film because of its strong plot.
lend itself + to + being + past participle
The data gathered in the study does not lend itself to any simple interpretation.
negative: does not lend itself to + noun
Liam's singing voice lends itself beautifully to jazz and blues music.
The large open kitchen lends itself to hosting dinner parties for many guests.
- be suited to
Similar meaning but does not require a reflexive pronoun
- be appropriate for
More general; focuses on correctness rather than natural fit
文法句型
lend itself + to + noun phrase
lend itself + to + being + past participle
用法筆記
Always requires 'itself' as the object and 'to' as the following preposition. The subject is an inanimate thing or abstract concept — not a person. 'Well' is a common adverb inserted before 'to'.