Key Facts
- Hangul: 대출 (daechul)
- Meaning: loan; borrowing/lending (money or library books)
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: neutral; commonly used with 받다 or 하다
- Hanja: 貸出 (貸 lend + 出 out)
- Level: B1
Loan in Korean: What Does 대출 Mean?
대출 literally means lend out, so the same noun covers both sides of the transaction. The bank lends, and you borrow, and the verb tells you which. With 받다 (to receive) you are the borrower. With 하다 the direction comes from the speaker: a customer who says 대출했어요 means they borrowed. Money is the main sense, but 도서 대출 uses it for library books. Next to it, 빚 is the debt you owe, and 빌리다 is the general verb to borrow.
How Do You Pronounce 대출?
대출 is dae-chul. The ㅊ is aspirated, a breathy ch, and the final ㄹ is a light l. Before the object marker the ㄹ moves into the next syllable, so 대출을 is daechureul. The ㅐ of 대 sounds like the e in bed.
How Do You Use 대출 in a Sentence?
은행에서 대출을 받았어요.
I took out a loan from the bank.
eunhaengeseo daechureul badasseoyo. 은행에서 대출을 받았어요 says I took out a loan from the bank. 에서 marks the source, and 받았어요 is the past of receive, which marks the speaker as the borrower.
대출 이자가 비싸요.
The loan interest is high.
daechul ijaga bissayo. 대출 이자가 비싸요 says the loan interest is high. 대출 이자 joins the two words directly, and 비싸요 (expensive) is the casual way to complain about it.
집을 사려고 대출했어요.
I took a loan to buy a house.
jibeul saryeogo daechulhaesseoyo. 집을 사려고 대출했어요 gives the purpose: to buy a house I took a loan. Here 대출 takes 했어요 directly, so 대출 works with 하다 as a verb: to take out a loan.
Common Word Combinations
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 대출을 받다 | to take out a loan |
| 대출을 갚다 | to repay a loan |
| 주택 대출 | housing loan |
| 대출 신청 | loan application |
대출을 받다 is to take out a loan, and 대출을 갚다 is to repay one. 주택 대출 is a housing loan, and 대출 신청 is a loan application. The first two show the borrower's side: you receive a loan and later pay it back.
Common Mistake
Mix-up: Thinking 대출 only means a money loan.
Instead: 대출 also means library lending, as in 도서 대출. Which direction it points, lending or borrowing, comes from the context and the verb.
If someone says 대출을 받다, they borrowed. The same noun in a bank's own announcement describes lending out.
How Does 대출 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | Meaning | How it differs from 대출 |
|---|---|---|
| 빚 | debt | The money you owe. 대출 is the act or product of lending and borrowing. |
| 빌리다 | to borrow | The general verb for borrowing anything. 대출 is a noun and is used for formal lending. |
Checking out a Library Book
A visitor brings a book to the library desk. Here 대출 concerns borrowing a book, so the conversation is about a due date rather than money.
Visitor
이 책 대출할 수 있어요?
I chaek daechulhal su isseoyo?
Can I borrow this book?
Librarian
네. 도서관 카드 있으세요?
Ne. Doseogwan kadeu isseuseyo?
Yes. Do you have a library card?
Visitor
네. 언제까지 반납해야 해요?
Ne. Eonjekkaji bannaphaeya haeyo?
Yes. When do I need to return it?
Librarian
다음 주 금요일까지예요.
Daeum ju geumyoilkkajiyeyo.
By next Friday.
대출할 수 있어요 asks whether borrowing is possible. 반납 means returning a borrowed item, and 언제까지 asks “until when” or “by when”. The date belongs to this example conversation; a real library sets its own lending period.
Where Will You See 대출?
On a library website, 대출 가능 means an item is available to borrow. 대출 중 means it is currently checked out. These are short status labels, so they often appear without a full sentence or polite ending. 도서 대출 names the book-lending service itself.
At a bank, 대출 신청 labels an application, and 대출 상담 means a consultation about a loan. 신청 is the request stage; it does not by itself say that someone has received the money. In the existing sentence with 받았어요, the past form makes clear that the speaker actually took out the loan.
대출 is neutral institutional vocabulary. It is natural in a polite question at a service desk and in written notices. For borrowing a friend’s umbrella, 빌리다 is the everyday choice. 대출 would make that small personal favor sound like an organized lending service.
Follow the Noun after 대출
대출 금액 is the loan amount. 대출 이자 is the interest connected with the loan, and 대출 금리 is its interest rate. English “interest” can hide the distinction between an amount of money and a rate; the following Korean noun tells you which one the text names.
대출을 받다 literally means “receive a loan”, which explains the borrower’s role. 대출을 갚다 describes paying it back. The noun 대출 itself does not carry a tense or tell you whether repayment is finished. The attached verb provides that information.
A library uses a different return word: 반납 for handing back the book. 갚다 belongs with repaying money or a debt in this context. Keeping 대출 with its partner word helps you recognize whether a screen concerns a bank transaction or a library account.
Words to Read beside 대출
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 이자 | interest | Appears beside the amount or cost of a money loan. |
| 금리 | interest rate | Names the rate rather than the borrowed principal. |
| 상환 | repayment | A formal word used in bank documents and menus. |
| 반납 | return | Used when returning a library book or other borrowed item. |
| 연장 | extension | In a library account, this can concern renewing a loan. |
The money vocabulary lesson teaches the financial set. When reading a library account, start with the book title and the return date instead: familiar 대출 labels belong to a different kind of borrowing there.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 대출 중 on a library catalogue mean a bank loan is in progress?
- Which phrase identifies the borrower: 대출을 받다 or 대출 상담?
- Which noun fits returning a borrowed library book: 반납 or 이자?
Show answers
- No. The book is checked out.
- 대출을 받다 means to receive or take out a loan.
- 반납. 이자 means interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does 대출 Mean?
It means a loan, both for borrowing and lending, plus library lending.
How Do I Say I Took out a Loan?
Say 대출을 받았어요, as in 은행에서 대출을 받았어요.
Is 대출 the Same as 빚?
No. 빚 is the debt you owe. 대출 is the loan itself.
Can 대출 Be Used for Books?
Yes. 도서 대출 is library lending.
Where to Go Next
For related money words, open the money vocabulary list or browse Korean words A to Z. Next, see the word for money and interest, and review the set in the vocabulary flashcard decks.