What does 借 mean in Japanese?
借 means to borrow or to rent. The kun’yomi 借りる (kariru) covers both borrowing without payment (borrowing a book, an umbrella, a pen) and renting with payment (renting an apartment, a car, a bicycle). This dual use — borrow and rent — makes 借りる one of the most practically important verbs at N4.
借 pairs directly with 貸 (lend), covered in seed_id 199. The two kanji define each other: what one person 貸す, the other 借りる. Mastering the pair — including the particle shift (に for lending, から for borrowing) — unlocks a wide range of everyday transactions and requests.
Reading
On’yomi: シャク (shaku)
Kun’yomi: か-りる (ka-riru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 借 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | borrow, rent |
| Stroke Count | 10 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
借りる (transitive): you receive the use of something from someone — 本を借りる (borrow a book), 傘を借りる (borrow an umbrella), アパートを借りる (rent an apartment), 車を借りる (rent a car). In Japanese, 借りる covers both free borrowing and paid renting; context (and common sense about money) distinguishes them. 借金 (shakkin, debt) = 借 (borrow) + 金 (money): borrowing money that must be repaid. 借金をする (take on debt), 借金を返す (repay a debt).
Common Words
- 借りる（かりる / kariru） — to borrow; to rent (apartment, car, etc.)
- 借金（しゃっきん / shakkin） — debt, loan (money borrowed)
- 借家（しゃくや / shakuya） — rented house
- 借り物（かりもの / karimono） — borrowed item
- 貸し借り（かしかり / kashikari） — lending and borrowing, give-and-take
- 借用（しゃくよう / shakuyou） — borrowing, use on loan (formal)
Example Sentences
-
図書館で本を借りました。
としょかんでほんをかりました。 / Toshokan de hon o karimashita.
I borrowed a book from the library.
-
ペンを借りてもいいですか？
ぺんをかりてもいいですか？ / Pen o karite mo ii desu ka?
May I borrow your pen?
-
彼は借金を返すために働いています。
かれはしゃっきんをかえすためにはたらいています。 / Kare wa shakkin o kaesu tame ni hataraite imasu.
He is working in order to repay his debt.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The 貸す / 借りる particle pair is the key grammar point: 友達に本を貸す (lend a book TO a friend — に marks the recipient) vs 友達から本を借りる (borrow a book FROM a friend — から marks the source). Keeping the から/に distinction clear prevents a very common particle mistake.
借りる covers both borrow (free, temporary use) and rent (paid, temporary use): 図書館で本を借りる (borrow a book from the library, free), アパートを借りる (rent an apartment, paid), レンタカーを借りる (rent a car, paid). Whether money changes hands is clear from context; the verb form is the same.
〜を借りてもいいですか？ is the standard polite form for asking to borrow something: ペンを借りてもいいですか？ (May I borrow your pen?), トイレを借りてもいいですか？ (May I use your restroom? — lit. may I borrow your toilet). The toilet phrase is a very common and natural expression in Japanese.
借金 (shakkin, debt) = 借 (borrow) + 金 (money). 借金がある (to have debt), 借金をする (to take on debt), 借金を返す (to repay a debt). 借金 carries a more serious or negative nuance than simply borrowing — it specifically refers to money owed. 借金取り (shakkin tori, debt collector) is also a recognisable compound.
Summary
借 means to borrow or rent, with 借りる as the core verb covering both free borrowing and paid renting. Key points: the から particle marks the source when borrowing, 借金 means debt, and 〜を借りてもいいですか？ is the essential request form.