借りる（かりる）
JLPT N5 · Ichidan verb (Group 2)
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, stays high, no drop
Meaning: to borrow
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| masu-form (polite) | 借ります | かります |
| te-form | 借りて | かりて |
| ta-form (past) | 借りた | かりた |
| nai-form (negative) | 借りない | かりない |
| potential form | 借りられる | かりられる |
See the full conjugation table for "借りる" →
Example sentences
- 図書館で本を三冊借りた。 — I borrowed three books from the library.
- 友達に消しゴムを借りた。 — I borrowed an eraser from a friend.
Idioms & proverbs containing “借りる”
- 借りる時の地蔵顔、済す時の閻魔顔 (かりるときのじぞうがお、なすときのえんまがお) — people look friendly when they ask for a loan but not so much when they repay it; when borrowing (the money), the face of the (bodhisattva) Kshitigarbha; when returning it, the face of the (hell king) Yama
- 手を借りる (てをかりる) — to get (someone's) help; to ask for help
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “借りる” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)