to lend a hand
28
1.3
- phrasal verb
- /lɛnd ə hænd/
- Informal
:
echar una mano
- I am a good neighbor, always eager to lend a hand to those who need it.
- glad to lend a hand
- willing to lend a hand
- want to lend a hand
You are willing to lend a hand if someone needs something heavy moved.
- You are willing to lend a hand if someone needs something heavy moved.
- When that happens, it's not time to judge or retreat, but to lend a hand.
Examples
-
I'm happy you could lend a hand.
-
Can you lend a hand?
-
You are willing to lend a hand if someone needs something heavy moved.
-
Always willing to lend a hand.
-
You can either lend a hand or get out of the way.
-
Thanks, too, for coming by to lend a hand.
Fiction book (1999) -
I'm just trying to lend a hand.
-
But I'd be happy to lend a hand.
-
I don't know why the others do not come out here and lend a hand.
Fiction book (1992) -
We're moving supplies to that building, if you wouldn't mind lending a hand.
Synonyms
707
1.8
To help someone with something or to clap to show appreciation
605
1.0
To help someone by making a task easier
499
1.0
To do part of a task for someone who has trouble doing it
486
1.0
To do something for someone who cannot do it alone
438
1.0
To give someone support to do a task
238
1.0
To help someone or something in need
182
1.3
Give someone support with a task or problem when they need it
28
2.7
To give help to someone during a difficult time
27
5.1
To make no effort to help
21
2.9
Make someone or something move forward faster
6
2.7
To give someone support with a task or problem
5
2.9
To give help to people and countries in need
5
2.9
To offer help or friendship by reaching out your hand to someone
3
3.1
To help someone when they are in trouble
2
3.7
To help someone a lot with a task or project
Antonyms
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to offer help' is directly derivable from combining 'lend' (to give or offer) with 'hand' (which here means assistance), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer the phrase. This compositional pattern is common and has clear cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g., Spanish 'echar una mano'), making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Lend a hand comes from the simple image of someone putting out a hand to help lift or move something for another person. So, to lend your hand came to mean 'to offer help'.