Words
afford vs deserve — having the means vs having earned it
A side-by-side comparison of meaning, examples, and nuance.
afford
/əˈfɔːrd/
be able to pay for; bear
To have enough money or time for something.
deserve
/dɪˈzɜːrv/
be worthy of, earn
To be worthy of something because of how you have acted.
Core difference
"Afford" is about having the means — money, time, or energy: "I can't afford a vacation this year." "Deserve" is about earning something through what you've done: "After all that work, you deserve a vacation." Means → afford; merit → deserve.
Translations of afford and deserve in 14 languages
| Language | afford | deserve |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어 | (여유가 있어) ~할 수 있다, 감당하다 | 받을 만하다, 누릴 자격이 있다 |
| English | be able to pay for; bear | be worthy of, earn |
| 简体中文 | 买得起，负担得起 | 应得，值得 |
| 繁體中文 | 負擔得起，支付得起 | 應得，值得 |
| 日本語 | ~する余裕がある、まかなえる | ~に値する、ふさわしい |
| Tiếng Việt | có đủ khả năng (tài chính) | xứng đáng |
| Português | ter recursos para, poder pagar | merecer |
| Français | avoir les moyens de, se permettre | mériter |
| Deutsch | sich leisten können | verdienen |
| Español | permitirse, poder pagar | merecer |
| Монгол | хүчрэх, өртөг даах | хүртэх ёстой, зохистой |
| Bahasa Indonesia | mampu membeli, sanggup membayar | pantas mendapatkan, layak |
| Bahasa Melayu | mampu membeli, sanggup menanggung | layak, patut menerima |
| ไทย | มีกำลังทรัพย์, สู้ราคาไหว | สมควรได้รับ |
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