lesson 7.2

In lesson 7.2 they use the word “leihen” to rent. Can one also use "mieten. In other words can be used interchangeably.

Thanks

Sebongela

Hallo Sebongela!

Yes, technically you could use mieten as in “Wo kann ich mir Skier mieten?”. although leihen would be more common here. The same applies to your second question; they can be used interchangeably in certain situations. The main difference between these two terms is that mieten is always linked to a payment for being allowed to use something for a period of time whereas with leihen you may pay money but often you don't. Mieten is also often used with bigger things like house, apartment, room, car or boat, for example:

“Ich will ein Auto mieten.” - “I want to rent a car.”

“Sie möchte eine kleine Wohnung in Berlin mieten.” - “She would like to rent a small apartment in Berlin.”

Leihen is often used when you want to borrow or lend something, for example:

“Kann ich mir für einen Tag dein Auto leihen?” - “Can I borrow your car for a day?”

“Kannst du mir bis nächste Woche das Buch leihen?” - “Can you lend me the book until next week?”

You will also find that the words leihen and ausleihen are often used interchangeably.

Hope this makes sense!

Viele Grüße,

Julia

Denke Julia.

You always explain things clearly and effectively. I appreciate that.

Sebongela