Translation guide
The English verb 'spend' covers two main areas: using money and using time. Japanese uses different verbs for these, and also has specific expressions for spending time meaningfully or wastefully.
To pay out money for goods, services, or expenses.
General verb for using or spending money. Transitive. The object takes を.
毎月、食費に5万円使います。
I spend 50,000 yen on food every month.
無駄遣いをしないで、お金を大切に使ってください。
Don't waste money; spend it wisely.
More formal/literary verb for spending money, often implying consumption or expenditure of a large amount. Transitive.
彼は車に大金を費やした。
He spent a fortune on a car.
Formal term for expenditure, used in accounting or official contexts.
会社は研究開発に多額の資金を支出した。
The company spent a large amount of money on R&D.
To use or pass time in a certain way or place.
General verb for spending time, often with a focus on how or where the time is passed. Transitive. Time expression takes を.
週末は家族とゆっくり過ごしました。
I spent the weekend relaxing with my family.
夏休みを海外で過ごす予定です。
I plan to spend summer vacation abroad.
Used for spending time, often with a nuance of devoting or expending time on something, sometimes with a sense of sacrifice. Transitive.
Literally 'use time'. Common and natural, similar to 'spend time' in many contexts.
もっと勉強に時間を使うべきだ。
You should spend more time studying.
To spend time on something, emphasizing the investment or effort. Often used when time is needed to achieve a result.
この料理は時間をかけて作ります。
This dish takes time to make (we spend time making it).
Colloquial verb for 'killing time' or spending time idly. Often used with 時間 (time) or 暇 (free time).
To spend time in a fulfilling, enjoyable, or worthwhile way.
To spend fulfilling/meaningful time. A very common positive expression.
留学中は充実した時間を過ごしました。
I spent a fulfilling time while studying abroad.
To have a good time, spend enjoyable time.
友達と楽しい時間を過ごした。
I spent a fun time with friends.
To waste time or spend it unproductively.
To spend time wastefully. 無駄に is an adverb modifying 過ごす.
休日を無駄に過ごしてしまった。
I ended up spending the holiday wastefully.
Primarily means 'waste money', but can be used metaphorically for wasting time (時間の無駄遣い).
そんなことに時間を無駄遣いするな。
Don't waste your time on such things.
過ごす focuses on how or where time is passed (quality of time), while 時間を使う simply means using time as a resource. 過ごす is more common for describing experiences.
昨日は何をして過ごしましたか？
How did you spend yesterday?
昨日は勉強に時間を使った。
I spent time studying yesterday.
To say 'spend the night' (stay overnight), use 泊まる (とまる) or 一晩過ごす (ひとばんすごす), not 夜を使う.
友達の家に泊まった。
I spent the night at a friend's house.
いくら使いましたか？
How much did you spend?
宿題に3時間かかりました。
I spent three hours on my homework.
Using かかる (take time) is natural here, rather than directly translating 'spend'.
時間を有効に使いなさい。
Spend your time wisely.
He spent a lot of time solving that problem.
I killed time at a café.