umutang

Umutang is a Filipino verb meaning to borrow something, usually money, from another person or from an institution. It describes the act of temporarily taking possession with the obligation to return it later. The person who borrows is the subject; the lender is the source of the loan.

Grammatically, umutang uses the actor-focused prefix um- attached to the root utang. In present usage, it appears as umutang, as in “Umutang ako ng pera sa aking kaibigan” (I am borrowing money from my friend). The past tense is formed with nangutang or nanghiram, for example “Nangutang siya ng pera kahapon” (She borrowed money yesterday).

Future borrowing is expressed with related verbs such as manghihiram or mag-uutang, or by context with time words, e.g., “Siya ay manghihiram ng pera mamaya” (He will borrow money later).

Common contexts include informal loans among family and friends, where repayment terms may be verbal and flexible, and formal lending in banks or financial institutions, which use different terms and interest arrangements. In Filipino culture, borrowing can carry social implications and obligations, especially regarding repayment and maintaining trust.

Related terms include utang (debt), utangan (the act of lending or the lender), and utang na loob (a debt of gratitude, a separate and culturally specific concept).