借 (jiè) - To borrow & to lend

借Tone 4

jiè ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

借 · jiè

To borrow;

to lend;

to make use of;

to take advantage of;

by means of;

under the pretext of.

To borrowto lendto make use of

Usage highlights

Borrow moneyLend a bookTake advantage of an opportunityUse as a pretextLoanBorrowing rate

Synonyms

  • 贷— to lend (more formal, financial context)
  • 租— to rent (temporary use for payment)
  • 假— to borrow (archaic/literary)

Antonyms

  • 还— to return (something borrowed)
  • 贷— to lend (when considering the opposite action)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to borrow a book from the library (借书).
  • Can you lend me some money?(借钱)
  • He traveled by means of a bicycle (借自行车旅行).
  • She used the opportunity to practice her Chinese (借此机会练习中文).

Collocations

  • Borrow money(借钱)
  • Lend a book(借书)
  • Take advantage of an opportunity(借机会)
  • Use as a pretext(借故)
  • Loan(借款)
  • Borrowing rate(借率)

Idioms

  • Borrow a corpse to return the soul(借尸还魂)
  • Borrow a knife to kill someone(借刀杀人)
  • Borrow the east wind(借东风)
  • Borrow flowers to offer to Buddha(借花献佛)
  • Borrow wine to drown sorrow(借酒浇愁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Reflects traditional Chinese values of reciprocity and mutual assistance in borrowing/lending relationships.
  • In business contexts, '借' carries connotations of credit and financial trustworthiness.
  • Appears in many strategic idioms from classical literature, particularly in military and political contexts.

FAQ