貸し

• Reading: かし
• Romaji: kashi
• Kanji breakdown: 貸 (kashi/tai) — lend, loan, rent out
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɕi/

Meaning

Lending; loan; something lent. The act of letting someone borrow something.

A noun derived from the verb 貸す (to lend). Used in both literal and figurative senses. 貸しがある means 'someone owes me a favor.' Common compounds include 貸し出し (lending out, checkout), 貸し切り (reserved/chartered), and 貸し借り (lending and borrowing). The opposite is 借り (borrowing).

Examples

1. 友達に貸しがあるから頼みやすい。 My friend owes me a favor, so it's easy to ask.
2. 図書館の貸し出し期間は二週間です。 The library's lending period is two weeks.
3. このバスは貸し切りになっている。 This bus has been reserved for private use.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, libraries, interpersonal

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the verb 貸す (to lend). The kanji 貸 combines 代 (substitute, replace) and 貝 (shell, ancient money), reflecting the concept of temporarily providing something of value to another.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal