borrow
gb/bˈɑɹoʊ/ us/bˈɑɹoʊ/
A2
English
~ 2600
kölcsönkér, átvesz, merít, hitelt vesz fel, kölcsönt vesz fel, pénzt kér kölcsön
VERB
A2
1
kölcsönkér
A2
Usage pattern:
to borrow [something] from [someone]
I need to borrow some sugar from my neighbor.
Kölcsön kell kérnem egy kis cukrot a szomszédomtól.
She borrowed a dress from her sister for the party.
Kölcsönkért egy ruhát a lánytestvérétől a bulira.
Can I borrow your phone for a minute?
He borrowed a book from the library.
They borrowed chairs from the community center for the event.
Learner examples
I want to borrow a pen.
Szeretnék kölcsönkérni egy tollat.
Can I borrow your book?
Kölcsönkérhetem a könyvedet?
She will borrow my car.
We borrow games from the library.
He borrows money from the bank.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'borrow' and 'lend'. Remember: you borrow FROM someone, and you lend TO someone.
Meaning
Take and use temporarily
Collocations
borrow money
|borrow a book
|borrow ideas
|borrow clothes
|borrow time
Synonyms
take on loan (More formal phrase emphasizing the legal or financial nature of borrowing.)
Antonyms
lend (The opposite action — giving something to someone temporarily.)
Themes
daily life
|finance
|education
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To take something from someone for a short time and give it back later.
To take and use something belonging to someone else with the intention of returning it.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to borrow [an idea/word/style] from [a source]
English has borrowed many words from French.
Az angol sok szót átvett a franciából.
The film borrows heavily from classic horror movies.
A film sokat merít a klasszikus horrorfilmekből.
She borrowed the concept from Japanese architecture.
Our menu borrows flavors from Mediterranean cuisine.
Learner examples
English borrows words from many languages.
Az angol sok nyelvből vesz át szavakat.
The story borrows ideas from old books.
A történet régi könyvekből merít ötleteket.
This song borrows a style from jazz music.
Common mistake:
Some learners overuse this meaning for physical objects; it is more common for ideas, words, or styles in this sense.
Meaning
Adopt from another source
Collocations
borrow a word
|borrow a style
|borrow an idea
Synonyms
adopt (Focuses on taking something and making it your own, sometimes permanently.)
Antonyms
originate (To create something yourself instead of taking it from elsewhere.)
Themes
language
|culture
|arts
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use an idea, word, or style from another place or time.
To take and use an idea, style, word, or feature from another language, culture, or source.
VERB
B1
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
to borrow [amount of money] from [lender]
The company plans to borrow $5 million to expand operations.
A vállalat 5 millió dollár hitelt tervez felvenni, hogy bővítse a tevékenységét.
She borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
Hitelt vett fel a banktól, hogy házat vegyen.
We had to borrow funds to cover the unexpected expenses.
Learner examples
I borrow money from the bank.
Hitelt veszek fel a banktól.
He borrows $100 from his friend.
100 dollárt kér kölcsön a barátjától.
They borrow money to start a shop.
Common mistake:
Learners may forget that this meaning implies repayment, often with interest, especially in formal contexts.
Meaning
Obtain funds on credit
Collocations
borrow money
|borrow funds
|borrow capital
Synonyms
take out a loan (Specifically refers to borrowing in a formal financial context.)
Antonyms
repay (The opposite stage of the borrowing process — giving back the borrowed money.)
Themes
finance
|business
|daily_life
Definition
To get money from someone and agree to pay it back later.
To obtain money from a bank, lender, or other source with the agreement to pay it back, usually with interest.
Grammar
Dictionary form
borrow
IPA
GB/bˈɑɹoʊ/
US/bˈɑɹoʊ/
Syllables & stress
bor - row (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bor)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: borrow
- 3rd Person Singular: borrows
- Present Participle: borrowing
- Past: borrowed
Word family
Expressions
borrow time
1/bˈɑɹoʊ tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
Continue longer than expected
To continue living or doing something after you were expected to stop or fail.
Examples
- After his heart surgery, he felt he was living on borrowed time.
- The company is on borrowed time unless profits improve.
borrow trouble
2/bˈɑɹoʊ tɹˈʌbəl/
idiom
informal
Cause unnecessary problems for yourself
To make problems for yourself by worrying or acting when you don't need to.
Examples
- Don't borrow trouble by asking too many questions about it now.
- She tends to borrow trouble by imagining worst-case scenarios.