betalen vs aflossen
Dutch word comparison
Listen to betalen
Listen to aflossen
| betalen | aflossen |
|---|---|
be-TA-len verb | /ˈɑflɔsən/ (AFL-loss-en) verb |
| to pay (give money in exchange for goods, services, or to settle a debt) | to repay or pay off a debt, loan, or installment |
How they differ
Aflossen is used for repaying debt or reducing the outstanding principal (partially or fully) and often appears in contexts of loans, mortgages, or credit; betalen can describe any payment but does not carry the specific sense of reducing a debt balance.
When to use each
When to use betalen: Prefer betalen for ordinary payments for goods or services where you are not specifically reducing a loan's principal.
When to use aflossen: Use aflossen when you talk about repaying a loan, making installments toward a debt, or paying off borrowed money.
Side-by-side examples
- Ik betaal mijn lening elke maand.
(I pay my loan every month.) - Ik los mijn lening iedere maand af.
(I repay my loan every month (making monthly repayments).)
Register & nuance: More specific and slightly more formal; common in financial contexts, banks, and contracts.