emprunter
/ɑ̃.pʁœ̃.te/
The French verb for 'to borrow' is emprunter.
emprunter is used when you are the person receiving something temporarily. If you are referring to a financial context, such as taking out a loan, you might use the more formal expression faire un emprunt.
Meaning: receive temporarily (verb)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between emprunter (to borrow) and prêter (to lend). While they involve the same transaction, emprunter means you are receiving the item, whereas prêter means you are giving it to someone else.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of emprunter is emprunté. Additionally, the noun form for a loan or something that has been borrowed is un emprunt.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ɑ̃.pʁœ̃.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use emprunter when they actually mean 'to lend'. Remember that emprunter always implies that the person is the one receiving the item.
Did you know?
- In linguistics, the word emprunt is used to describe a 'loanword', which is a word that one language has borrowed from another.
- The verb emprunter finds its roots in a Latin term meaning 'to make something a loan', specifically from the word for 'mutual'.
- You can emprunter someone's look or aesthetic, which means you have adopted their style for a period of time.
Examples in context
- Puis-je emprunter le tien ?Can I borrow yours?This sentence shows how to use emprunter to ask to borrow something belonging to someone else.Tatoeba #4050099 by mouche, translation #3817990 by CK
- Puis-je emprunter ce stylo ?May I borrow this pen?This sentence shows how to use emprunter to ask to borrow a pen.Tatoeba #11282 by sacredceltic, translation #60528 by CK
- Puis-je emprunter ce livre ?May I borrow this book?This sentence shows how to use emprunter to ask to borrow a book.Tatoeba #373428 by sysko, translation #56836 by CK
- Nous allons emprunter de l'argent à la banque pour acheter une maison.We are going to borrow money from the bank to buy a house.
- Nous allons faire un emprunt auprès de la banque pour notre nouvelle entreprise.We are going to take out a loan from the bank for our new business.
- Est-ce que je peux piquer ton stylo ?Can I borrow your pen?
- J'emprunte ton livre .I borrow your book.
- 170 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel is at the library with Manon.
- GabrielJe veux emprunter ce roman.I want to borrow this novel.
- ManonTu as ta carte de membre ?Do you have your membership card?
- GabrielOui, je peux l'emprunter pour deux semaines.Yes, I can borrow it for two weeks.
- ManonC'est un excellent choix, Gabriel.It is an excellent choice, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “borrow” translations and entries emprunter, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries emprunter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
