The Meaning of kasu [貸す] In Japanese

貸す
かす
Romaji: kasu N5

What does 貸す mean?

Translation and Meaning

to lend, to loan out

Definition

貸す means to lend or loan something to someone for temporary use, with the expectation that it will be returned. It describes the act of transferring temporary possession of an item you own to another person.

Type

verb (transitive) (動詞・他動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Context: used for giving temporary access to tangible items, with ownership unchanged.
  • Connotation: typically informal or personal lending; formal or institutional lending can be expressed with 貸与する.
  • Antonym: 借りる means to borrow from someone else.

Etymology

音読み tai; 訓読み kasu. The kanji 貸 is linked to money-related concepts through the 貝 radical, and its pronunciation has evolved into the modern kun reading kasu and on reading tai, with the verb form using kasu in contemporary Japanese.

Origin

Historically, lending and borrowing were common in Japan across households and markets from ancient times; the verb 貸す appears in classical literature and legal documents, reflecting everyday practice of temporarily transferring ownership without transfer of title.

Composition

  • 貸: core semantic field of lending or loan
  • す: verb-ending particle forming the verb

Usage

Used as a transitive verb in casual and formal speech to describe giving temporary use of an owned item to another person; the item is marked with を and the recipient with に, and polite forms include 貸します, while the casual form is 貸す; the concept covers a wide range of objects from books to tools.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: the left-side 貝 (money) signals a financial exchange; picture handing a shell full of money to a friend to symbolize temporarily letting them use your item—a loan, not a gift.

Variations

  • 貸与する (kōyo suru) — formal or institutional lending
  • レンタルする (rentaru suru) — renting, often with a fee
  • 借りる (kariru) — to borrow (antonym and related verb)

Example Phrases

  • 友達に本を貸す約束を守る。
    Tomodachi ni hon o kasu yakusoku o mamoru.
    I’ll keep my promise to lend a book to a friend.
    Lista:
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to a friend
    • 本を (hon o) – a book
    • 貸す (kasu) – to lend
    • 約束を (yakusoku o) – a promise
    • 守る (mamoru) – to keep
    Core grammar: 「貸す」 means ‘to lend’; use に to mark the recipient as in 「友達に」; 「約束を守る」 means ‘to keep a promise’.
貸す