“Please, borrow me
your pen.” and “I borrowed him my pen.” are common expressions in
this part of the world where English is taught and learnt as a second
language. The incorrectness of these expressions is hidden under the ignorance
of their users.
Although they chiefly
function as verbs, Borrow and lend are not
clad with the same semantic attire. While the latter indicates an action
of giving out, the former simply means to receive. In
other words, to lend means “to give out your belonging to
another person for him or her to use, on a condition that it will be
returned.” But to borrow means “to receive something
from somebody temporarily, expecting to return it.” Therefore, it is very
wrong to say, for example, “Please, borrow me your pen.” or “He
borrowed me his pen.” We should rather say, “Can I borrow your
pen?” or “He lent me his pen.” respectively.
How to use “borrow” and “lend” in sentences
1. Can I borrow your pen? The speaker is asking if he/she can receive the pen from its owner.
2. He lent me his pen. In this case, he gave it to you.
3. She borrowed his book. This means she received it.
4. I will lend you my
shoes. This means I will give you my shoes.
In sum, you borrow from someone whereas you lend to someone.
In sum, you borrow from someone whereas you lend to someone.
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