- Have you ever wondered if you should “spend for” or “spend on” an item?
- Do you know the grammatical difference between spending time and passing time?
- Are you looking for more professional ways to describe your budget usage in a business meeting?
Mastering Spend Collocations is essential for achieving natural English fluency. Collocations are words that naturally “live together”; by learning them, you move away from literal translation and toward the rhythmic, intuitive English used by native speakers. This guide will help you use the word “spend” accurately in both social and professional contexts.
Common Collocations with SPEND as a Verb
In its most common form, “spend” is a verb used to describe the usage of resources, primarily money and time. Unlike many other verbs, “spend” follows very specific prepositional patterns.
1. Spending Money
- Spend a fortune: To spend a very large amount of money.
Example: “They spent a fortune on their daughter’s wedding.” - Spend wisely: To use money in a careful, planned way.
Example: “With inflation rising, it is important to spend wisely.” - Spend on (something): The standard preposition for the object being purchased.
Example: “How much did you spend on your new laptop?” - Spend lavishly: To spend a lot of money on luxury.
Example: “The celebrity is known for spending lavishly on private jets.”
2. Spending Time
- Spend time (doing something): Always use the gerund (-ing) form after “spend time.”
Example: “I spent all morning cleaning the garage.” - Spend time with (someone): Used for social interactions.
Example: “I want to spend more time with my grandparents this summer.” - Spend quality time: Time dedicated entirely to a person or activity without distractions.
Example: “Parents should try to spend quality time with their children every day.” - Spend a lifetime: To use the duration of one’s whole life for a purpose.
Example: “He spent a lifetime researching the cure for this disease.”
3. Spending Effort and Energy
- Spend energy: To exert physical or mental power.
Example: “Don’t spend your energy worrying about things you cannot change.” - Spend resources: To use available assets to achieve a goal.
Example: “The government has spent significant resources on urban renewal.”
Essential Collocations using SPEND as a Noun
While primarily a verb, “spend” is frequently used as a noun in business, economics, and marketing contexts to refer to the total amount of money expended.
1. Professional and Corporate Contexts
- Marketing spend: The total amount of money a company uses for advertising.
Example: “Our marketing spend has doubled since last year.” - Ad spend: (Short for advertising spend) Specifically the money spent on digital or print ads.
Example: “We need to optimize our Facebook ad spend for better ROI.” - Annual spend: The total expenditure over a one-year period.
Example: “The procurement department is reviewing our annual spend on office supplies.” - Consumer spend: The amount of money people in a country are spending.
Example: “Economists are worried that consumer spend is decreasing.”
The Master Summary Table
| Collocation | Part of Speech | Quick Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Spend on | Verb Phrase | To pay for a specific item. |
| Spend (time) + -ing | Verb Pattern | Using time for a specific activity. |
| Spend a fortune | Verb + Noun | To spend a lot of money. |
| Marketing spend | Adjective + Noun | Total money used for promotion. |
| Spend quality time | Verb + Noun | Giving someone undivided attention. |
| Spend wisely | Verb + Adverb | To use resources carefully. |
Common Mistakes: Natural vs Unnatural
One of the biggest hurdles for English learners is choosing the correct preposition or verb for time and money. Use the table below to correct common errors.
| Do Not Say | Say This |
|---|---|
| I spend for clothes. | I spend on clothes. |
| I spent two hours for reading. | I spent two hours reading. |
| I pass my time with my friends. | I spend time with my friends. |
| He spends many money. | He spends a lot of money. |
| I spend my time at the weekend. | I spend my time (doing something). |
“Dear Team, looking at our current marketing spend, I believe we need to spend our resources more effectively. Last quarter, we spent a fortune on social media ads, but we didn’t spend enough time analyzing the data. This month, I want everyone to spend time researching new trends so we can spend our budget wisely.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Spend Collocations
Do I say “spend on” or “spend in”?
In almost all cases regarding money and items, you should use “spend on.” For example, “I spend money on books.” You only use “spend in” when referring to a physical location or a specific time period, such as “I spent $50 in that store” or “He spent a lot of money in 2023.”
What is the difference between “spending time” and “passing time”?
“Spending time” implies a deliberate use of time, often for enjoyment or a specific purpose (e.g., spending time with family). “Passing time” usually means doing something just to make the time go by faster because you are bored or waiting for something else (e.g., “I played games on my phone to pass the time while waiting for the bus”).
Can I use “spend” with an infinitive (to + verb)?
No, this is a very common error. You should not say “I spend time to study.” The correct grammatical structure is “spend” + [time] + [verb-ing]. Correct: “I spend time studying.”
Is “spend” as a noun only for business?
While it originated in business jargon (like “ad spend”), it is becoming more common in general English when talking about budgets. However, in casual conversation, most people still prefer to use the verb form (“My spending habits”) rather than “My monthly spend.”
What is the difference between “spending” and “expenditure”?
“Spending” is a general, common word used by everyone. “Expenditure” is a formal, academic, or technical term used in official reports and economic contexts. For daily life, always use “spending.”
In professional English, I often hear 'expenditure' and 'outlay.' Are these just fancy ways to say 'spending'?
Essentially, yes, Dmitry! 'Expenditure' is the formal noun for the process of spending, and 'outlay' usually refers to a specific amount of money spent on a new project or investment.
This is much clearer than my textbook. My book just says 'spend = use money,' but the prepositions were missing. 'Spend on' is going in my notebook right now.
Is it okay to say 'I spent my weekend for cleaning the house'?
Actually, Wei, you would say 'I spent my weekend cleaning the house.' No need for 'for'! Remember the pattern: Spend + Time + Verb-ing.
The tip about 'spending wisely' is so important with the current inflation. Thank you for the practical examples!
You're very welcome, Ingrid! We try to make our examples as relevant to real-life situations as possible. Stay tuned for our next post on 'saving' collocations!
What is the opposite of 'spend lavishly'? Is it 'spend poorly'?
Can I use 'spend' for something negative, like 'spending time in prison'?
That is a very common use, Sofia! In fact, 'serving time' and 'spending time' are both used when talking about prison sentences.
I like how this article connects to the previous post about budget vocabulary. It's helping me build a full 'toolbox' of words for my accounting job.
I noticed the article mentions 'spend on (something).' Can we also 'spend on (someone)'? For example, 'He spends a lot of money on his girlfriend'?
Yes, Ji-Hoon! You can definitely spend money (or time) on a person. It means you are buying things for them or dedicating your time to them.
Is there a formal noun version of 'spend' for financial reports? My boss asked for a 'spend analysis' and it sounded strange to me.
When using a verb after 'spend time,' do I always use the -ing form? For example, 'I spent three hours fixing my bike'?
Spot on, Hans! The pattern is: Spend + Time + Verb-ing. You should never use the infinitive (to fix) in this structure. Great grammatical catch!