Borrow example sentences
Related (13): lend, loan, rent, lease, adopt, take, use, return, borrow, borrower, borrowed, lending, temporary
"Borrow" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- borrow money
- borrow from
- borrow against
- borrow time
- borrow trouble
- borrow a page from
- borrow someone's strength
- borrow an idea
- borrow words
- borrow from the library
- borrow a hand
- borrow confidence
Examples by Level
A1
- Can I borrow your pen?
- He wants to borrow money from the bank.
- My friend said I can borrow her bike tomorrow.
A2
- I need to borrow some sugar from my neighbor — we're out.
- She asked if she could borrow my jacket because hers was wet.
- They decided to borrow a car instead of taking the bus.
B1
- I hate asking people to borrow things, but I'm desperate for a ladder right now.
- He's always trying to borrow money and never pays it back — it's getting annoying.
- We could borrow camping gear from my cousin instead of buying new equipment.
B2
- The awkward part about living in a small town is that you can't borrow anything without the whole neighborhood knowing about it.
- She'd made a habit of asking to borrow books and simply forgetting to return them.
- Rather than borrow from his parents again, he decided to take on a second job.
C1
- There's something oddly intimate about the act of asking to borrow something — it requires a particular kind of trust that many relationships never quite develop.
- The concept of intellectual property becomes murky when we consider how much of human progress relies on our ability to borrow freely from those who came before us.
- He had long since stopped asking to borrow money; the shame of previous refusals had calcified into a kind of stubborn independence.
C2
- What we call originality is often just a more elegant way of saying we've learned to borrow from our influences without being caught.
- The unspoken contract between friends — the understanding that you can borrow without explanation, return without apology — is perhaps the truest measure of intimacy.
- She'd spent years watching others borrow confidence from their circumstances, and had finally understood that hers would have to come from within.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My kid wants to borrow my phone again, but last time he drained the battery.
- I had to borrow a cup of flour from the neighbor at 6 PM because I forgot to buy some.
- The dog next door got loose again — I'm thinking about asking if I can borrow their leash to help catch him.
💼 Workplace
- Can I borrow your stapler? Mine jammed and IT won't replace it until next week.
- My coworker keeps trying to borrow my lunch from the office fridge — I've started labeling it with my name.
- The team had to borrow equipment from another department because our budget got cut.
📊 Business
- We decided to borrow against future revenue rather than lay off staff during the downturn.
- The startup had to borrow heavily to fund their expansion, which made investors nervous.
- Our competitors are trying to borrow our market strategy, but they're missing the execution piece.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- I'm thinking about buying that expensive blender, but maybe I should borrow one first to see if I'd actually use it.
- These designer bags are so expensive — I'd rather borrow from a friend than drop that kind of money.
- Do you think it's weird to ask if I can borrow a dress for the wedding instead of buying something new?
✈️ Travel
- We had to borrow a car from a local when ours broke down in the middle of nowhere.
- The hostel said we could borrow maps and guidebooks, which saved us a ton of money.
- I'm planning to borrow camping gear from my brother instead of renting it there.
📚 Education
- The teacher let me borrow the textbook over the weekend so I could finish the assignment.
- My daughter asked if she could borrow my old notes from high school — apparently they're still useful.
- Students are allowed to borrow up to five books at a time from the school library.
❤️ Relationships
- When he asked to borrow money, I knew something was really wrong — he never asks for help.
- We got the apartment together, so when things fell apart, I had to borrow a friend's couch for two weeks.
- She'd always been the one I could borrow strength from when things got dark, but this time she needed me instead.
📰 News / Politics
- The government announced plans to borrow billions for infrastructure projects over the next decade.
- Critics argue that the policy is essentially asking future generations to borrow from their own prosperity.
- The mayor's office had to borrow equipment from neighboring cities after the hurricane.
💻 Technology
- I had to borrow my roommate's laptop because mine crashed and I have a deadline.
- The app lets you borrow ebooks from the library directly to your phone — it's actually pretty convenient.
- They're trying to borrow AI technology from other companies instead of developing their own.
📝 Formal Writing
- The municipality is authorized to borrow funds through municipal bonds for capital improvements.
- Research indicates that students who borrow extensively for education face significant long-term financial strain.
- The institution's policy permits faculty to borrow materials from the archive for a maximum of thirty days.