noun / verb HSK 5
Traditional 貸款
dài kuǎn
loan · to provide a loan · to borrow money

Meaning

贷款 refers to money borrowed from a bank or financial institution that must be repaid with interest. As a noun it means 'loan' or 'credit'; as a verb it means 'to lend money' or 'to take out a loan'. This is the standard term used in formal banking contexts and everyday conversations about mortgages, student loans, or business financing.

Usage

This word is used in both formal financial contexts and everyday speech when discussing borrowing money from banks or lending institutions. When used as a verb, the subject is typically the bank (lending) or the borrower (taking out a loan), depending on context. Common in discussions about housing purchases, starting businesses, or education financing.

Examples

  1. 01
    我们向银行申请了一笔房屋贷款
    Wǒmen xiàng yínháng shēnqǐng le fángwū dàikuǎn.
    We applied to the bank for a housing loan.
  2. 02
    他每个月要还五千元的贷款
    měi yuè yào huán qiān yuán de dàikuǎn.
    He has to repay 5,000 yuan in loans every month.

Characters

Measure words

  • 一笔贷款
  • xiàng几项贷款

Common collocations

  • 申请贷款
    shēn qǐng dài kuǎn
    to apply for a loan
  • 房屋贷款
    fáng dài kuǎn
    housing loan, mortgage
  • 银行贷款
    yín háng dài kuǎn
    bank loan
  • 偿还贷款
    cháng huán dài kuǎn
    to repay a loan

Antonyms

Origin

贷 originally meant 'to lend' in classical Chinese, while 款 refers to a 'sum of money' or 'fund'. Together they form the modern compound meaning 'loan' or the act of lending/borrowing money.

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