Let’s be honest, sometimes English can be confusing. Sometimes when learning English it is easy to mix up words or be unsure when to use them.
I often hear German speakers who are learning English make mistakes with the words ‘donate’ and ‘spend’.
Take a look at the examples below. Hopefully they will make things clearer for you.
When we donate something we give things (e.g. money, clothes, time, goods, body parts) to others for a good cause. We don’t expect anything in return for our contribution.
E.g. I donate money every year to several charities.
He donated 5 large bags of old clothes to the local charity shop.
She donated a kidney to her sister.
Spend means to give money in exchange for something you want. When you buy something, you spend money.
E.g. He spends a lot of money every year on holidays.
Businesses spend money on advertising to sell their products.
The department has just spent a lot of money on a new computer system.
Have fun learning English!
Louise