afford
verb
What afford means
To have enough money or time to buy or do something.
We can’t afford a new car this year.
I can’t afford to miss another class.
Test yourself
Five questions about afford
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does afford mean?
If you can afford something, you have the money or the time you need for it, so paying for it or doing it is not a problem.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
Maria earns €1,500 a month, but the flat she likes costs €2,000 a month. Sadly, she can’t ___ it.
When the price is more than the money you have, you cannot afford it. You owe money that you must pay back, and you lend money to someone else.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
Since I lost my job, I can only ___ the cheapest food in the shop.
Without a job you have little money, so you can only pay for cheap food. Can afford means that you have enough money for something.
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Question 4 of 5Similar word
Which phrase is closest in meaning to can afford?
If you can afford something, you have enough money for it. Have to pay back means owe, and spend too much on means splurge.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses afford correctly?
Afford is followed by to and a verb, and it usually comes with can or can’t. It is a verb, so after is you need the adjective affordable.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Afford in a sentence
5 more examples of afford in everyday situations.
- Renting
Rents went up again, and many young people can’t afford to live downtown.
- With friends
Sorry, I can’t afford a concert this month, maybe next time.
- At work
We can’t afford to lose this client, so let’s check everything twice.
- Planning
If we save a little each month, we’ll be able to afford a vacation.
- The news
Many families can no longer afford basic groceries, the report says.
How to use afford
Afford almost always comes with can, could or be able to, and very often in the negative: “I can’t afford it.” You rarely hear “I afford”.
Can’t afford to + verb can also mean that something is too risky: “We can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Forms
- affordshe/she/it
- affordedpast
- affording-ing form
- affordableadjective
- affordabilitynoun
Patterns
- can’t afford something
- can afford to do something
- be able to afford something
- can’t afford to + verb (too risky)
Common mistakes with afford
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NotI can’t afford buying it.
SayI can’t afford to buy it.
After afford, use to and the base form of the verb, not the -ing form.
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NotI don’t afford a holiday.
SayI can’t afford a holiday.
Afford almost always comes with can, can’t, could or be able to, so “I don’t afford” sounds wrong.
Afford or pay for or affordable / cheap?
- afford or pay for
- Pay for describes the action of giving money: “I paid for dinner.” Afford describes whether you have enough money: “I can’t afford dinner out this week.”
- afford or affordable / cheap
- Affordable means the price is reasonable for most people and sounds positive. Cheap means low in price, but it can also suggest poor quality.
Afford is a B1 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Afford word family and collocations
The words that go with afford, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- can’t afford
- can afford to
- afford the time
- affordable housing
- easily afford
Word family
- afford (verb)
- affordable (adjective)
- affordability (noun)
Similar words
- have enough for
- pay for
Questions about afford
Is it afford to do or afford doing?
Use afford to + verb: “I can’t afford to buy a new phone.” Afford + -ing is not standard, so avoid “I can’t afford buying a new phone”.
Can you say “I afford it”?
It is rare. Afford usually comes with can, could or be able to: “I can afford it” or “We could afford it then.”
The word before
Do you still remember verify?
One question about the word from 18 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does verify mean?
When you verify something, you make sure it is true, usually with proof, such as a code that shows an email address really belongs to you.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More home words
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C1
appliance
A machine for use in the home, such as a washing machine, fridge or kettle. -
B1
flavour
How a food or drink tastes, for example sweet, salty or smoky. -
C1
potluck
A meal where each guest brings a dish to share. -
B2
routine
The things you do regularly in the same order every day or week. -
C1
snooze
To sleep lightly for a short time, or to press the snooze button on an alarm to get a few more minutes of sleep. -
B2
bargain
Something you buy for less than its normal price.