emprestar

Senses

1. 1.

   to lend

   to give something temporarily to someone with the expectation it will be returned

2. 2.

   to borrow

   to receive something temporarily from someone (colloquial usage, though technically 'pedir emprestado')

3. 3.

   to lend (figurative)

   to give or contribute a quality, characteristic, or support

Examples

• "Você pode me emprestar seu lápis?"

  Can you lend me your pencil?

• "Emprestei dinheiro para meu irmão, mas ele ainda não me pagou."

  I lent money to my brother, but he still hasn't paid me back.

• "A presença dela empresta um charme especial ao evento."

  Her presence lends a special charm to the event.

Usage

Common preposition: 'emprestar algo PARA alguém' (to lend something to someone). Although 'emprestar' technically means 'to lend,' many Brazilians colloquially use it to mean 'to borrow' as well (e.g., 'posso emprestar seu livro?' = can I borrow your book?). The correct form for 'to borrow' is 'pedir emprestado' or 'tomar emprestado.'