Banking · Money and prices
overdraft
negative bank balance
An overdraft lets you spend more money than you have in your account.
This vs that
I went into my overdraft.
I took out a loan.
Hear it in real life
Can you pay me back today?
Not until Friday—I'm still in my overdraft.
I went into my overdraft after an unexpected repair bill.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
Go into my overdraft is the natural everyday way to describe a negative balance.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I am in overdraft because I spent too much.
Say: I am overdrawn because I spent too much.
Overdraft is the facility or amount; overdrawn describes the account.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
go into/use/come out of your overdraft
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about banking.
pay by direct debit
I pay my phone bill by direct debit.
take money out
I need to take some money out before the market.
Banking words
Money and prices · Banking: the words around “overdraft”.
More connectionsEasy to mix up · More banking words9
Your turn: say it out loud
I've gone into my overdraft.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
overdraft
negative bank balance
“I went into my overdraft after an unexpected repair bill.”
heytardy