loan
loan — noun
1. a fixed sum of money that a financial institution provides to a person or organi
a fixed sum of money that a financial institution provides to a person or organization, who must repay it over an agreed period, typically with additional charges (interest) included in the total.
Ramón took out a loan from the credit union to open his own restaurant.
collocation: take out a loan
The Klein family used a student loan to pay for Yael's university fees.
collocation: student loan
After buying the house, Jude will spend fifteen years repaying the mortgage loan.
Small businesses often apply for a loan when they need to buy new equipment.
The bank offered Bao a personal loan at a very competitive interest rate.
- deposit
money placed into a bank account, not borrowed from one
用法筆記
This sense requires a determiner ('a loan', 'the loan', 'loans') or quantifier, unlike sense 2 which often appears uncountably in the pattern 'the loan of something'. Common verb partners include 'take out', 'pay off', 'repay', and 'apply for'.
常見錯誤
2. the situation or arrangement in which one person gives an object or item to anot
the situation or arrangement in which one person gives an object or item to another person for a short time, expecting it to be returned afterward.
Kemi asked the librarian for a loan of three reference books over the weekend.
pattern: a loan of [objects]
Amani's neighbour returned the lawnmower after a week-long loan.
The museum agreed to a loan of several paintings to the gallery in Taipei.
The loan of the projector to the community centre ends next Friday.
用法筆記
Often used uncountably in the pattern 'the loan of [something]' (e.g., 'the loan of a bicycle'). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not involve financial institutions or interest payments. Frequently appears in formal or institutional contexts (libraries, museums, equipment hire).
常見錯誤
3. a professional arrangement in which an athlete temporarily plays for a team that
a professional arrangement in which an athlete temporarily plays for a team that is not their usual club, while still being under contract with their original team.
The young forward joined the Valencia club on a season-long loan from his German team.
fixed phrase: on loan
Selim scored four goals during his loan spell at the second-division club last season.
collocation: loan spell
Roya's loan to the Lyon team helped her gain experience in a different league.
The coach sent the goalkeeper out on loan rather than keeping him on the bench.
- secondment
used in business or government contexts for temporary employee assignments; not used in sports
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'on loan', 'loan spell', 'send out on loan', or 'join on loan'. Rarely used outside sports news or commentary. The compound 'loan player' is also common.
常見錯誤
4. a term or expression that has been adopted into a language from a different lang
a term or expression that has been adopted into a language from a different language, often adapted in spelling or pronunciation to fit the new language's sound system.
The English word 'sushi' is a loan from the Japanese language.
pattern: a loan from [language]
'Boss' started as a Dutch loan before entering English in the seventeenth century.
Mandarin Chinese includes many loan words from English, such as 咖啡 (kafei) for coffee.
Élise wrote her thesis on how French loan words entered the Vietnamese language.
- loanword
the standard one-word compound form, used interchangeably with 'loan' in this sense
- borrowed word
more transparent but less common in academic writing
- calque
a different phenomenon — word-for-word translation rather than borrowing the word itself (e.g., 'skyscraper' → 'rascacielos')
用法筆記
Often premodified by a language name ('a French loan', 'a Japanese loan'). The compound 'loanword' (one word) is equally common and preferred in linguistics textbooks. The longer form 'borrowed word' is also used.
常見錯誤
loan — verb
1. to provide money or an item to someone temporarily, with the understanding that
to provide money or an item to someone temporarily, with the understanding that it will be returned, sometimes with an agreed extra payment (interest) in the case of money.
The bank refused to loan Brian the money for his new delivery truck.
pattern: loan + someone + something
Some online apps now allow users to loan small amounts directly to one another.
Luca offered to loan his bicycle to Eri for the summer holiday.
The credit union loans money to local farmers at very low rates.
- lend
preferred in British English for non-financial items; interchangeable with 'loan' in American English
- advance
implies providing money before it is due or earned, often as a loan against future income
- provide credit
more formal; refers to a financial institution offering borrowing facilities
文法句型
loan + someone + something
loan + something + to someone
用法筆記
In American English, 'loan' as a verb is standard for both money and objects. In British English, 'lend' is still preferred in everyday speech for non-financial items, though 'loan' is increasingly accepted. The past tense is 'loaned' (not 'lent').