How do you say "lend" in French?

prêter

Verb Noun

In French, "lend" is prêter.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free French learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

Pronounce it preh-TAY, similar to the English word prayer without the r, ending on a crisp ay.

Grammar notes

prêter is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.

Example sentence

Elle a accepté de me prêter un livre.

She agreed to lend me a book.

Test your French knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember prêter

You might pray-tay someone would lend you money, so remember prêter as a small prayer for cash.

Related words

Browse all French words in the glossary.

Questions about prêter

How do you pronounce prêter?

Pronounce it preh-TAY, similar to the English word prayer without the r, ending on a crisp ay.

Is prêter formal or casual?

prêter is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is prêter used in French?

prêter is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Elle a accepté de me prêter un livre. (She agreed to lend me a book.).

Where can I practice French words for free?

You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Lend" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the French language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town