Interest paid on a deposit or loan — the monetary charge for borrowing or the return on deposited funds.
銀行に預金すると利子が付く場合が多い。
Banks often pay interest on deposits.
短期ローンは利子が高くなる傾向がある。
Short-term loans tend to have higher interest.
利子と利息は日常ではほぼ同じ意味で使われる。
In everyday use, '利子' and '利息' are used with almost the same meaning.