Lately, I’ve been considering taking out a loan to finance my new business venture. In Spanish, when we talk about a loan in this context, we use the word préstamo, which originates from the Latin word praestare, meaning to provide or to lend, a term commonly used in financial, academic, and everyday settings.
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
Préstamo is a masculine noun and takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el préstamo = the loan
- un préstamo = a loan
- los préstamos = the loans
- unos préstamos = some loans
Necesito un préstamo para mis estudios.
I need a loan for my studies.
The word préstamo can be used in various contexts, one of the most common being financial loans. In this context, a prestador/prestamista (lender) provides money to a prestatario (borrower) with the expectation of repayment, typically with interés (interest), over a specified plazo (term), through cuotas (installments). Here are some types of préstamos:
- Préstamo Personal = Personal Loan
- Préstamo Hipotecario = Mortgage Loan
- Préstamo Automotriz = Auto Loan
- Préstamo Estudiantil = Student Loan
- Préstamo Comercial = Business Loan
Préstamo is also used to refer to linguistic borrowing. In this context, it describes words or expressions taken from one language and incorporated into another, often with little or no modification. Here are a few examples of préstamos from English to Spanish.
- sándwich = Me gustaría un sándwich de jamón y queso. (I would like a ham and cheese sandwich.)
- Internet = El Internet ha cambiado la forma en que vivimos. (The Internet has changed the way we live.)
- clic = Haz clic en el enlace para más información. (Click on the link for more information.)
And here are some préstamos from Spanish to English:
- patio = We love spending time in our patio.
- fiesta = Party. We are throwing a big fiesta this weekend.
- taco = Referring to the traditional Mexican food. Let’s go out for tacos tonight.
The verb form of préstamo is prestar, which means to lend or to loan:
- yo presto = I lend
- tú prestas = you lend (informal, singular)
- él / ella presta = he / she lends
- nosotros prestamos = we lend
- vosotros prestáis = you lend (plural)
- ellos / ellas / ustedes prestan = they lend / you lend (plural)
Idiomatic expressions using ‘préstamo’
Prestar atención
Literal translation: to lend attention
English meaning: to pay attention
Prestar oídos
Literal translation: to lend ears
English meaning: to listen or to heed
El que presta, nunca tiene
Literal translation: He who lends, never has
English meaning: This saying emphasizes that those who frequently lend their possessions or money may often find themselves without them when they need them
Prestar a amigo y perder el dinero y el amigo
Literal translation: lend to a friend and lose both the money and the friend
English meaning: This saying warns about the potential risks of lending money to friends, which can lead to financial loss and damage to the friendship
