借 (jiè) — to borrow / to lend
HSK 3 | verb | to borrow something from or lend something to someone
借 (jiè)
A verb that means both "to borrow" (from someone) and "to lend" (to someone), depending on context. Direction is indicated by the surrounding words.
Meanings
- [verb] To borrow (take temporarily from someone).
- [verb] To lend (give temporarily to someone).
Example Sentences
我可以借一下你的笔吗？ Wǒ kěyǐ jiè yīxià nǐ de bǐ ma? May I borrow your pen for a moment?
他向图书馆借了几本书。 Tā xiàng túshūguǎn jiè le jǐ běn shū. He borrowed a few books from the library.
你能借我一点儿钱吗？ Nǐ néng jiè wǒ yīdiǎnr qián ma? Can you lend me some money?
这本书我已经借给他了。 Zhè běn shū wǒ yǐjīng jiè gěi tā le. I have already lent this book to him.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 借书 | borrow a book |
| 借钱 | borrow / lend money |
| 借给 | lend to (someone) |
| 向…借 | borrow from... |
| 借口 | excuse, pretext |
Memory Hook
One character, two directions: 借 to me is borrowing, 借 to you is lending — the object flows between both people.