borrow
gb/bˈɑɹoʊ/ us/bˈɑɹoʊ/
A2
Inglés
~ 2600
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
A2
action
1
Take and use temporarily
To take something from someone for a short time and give it back later.
Patrón de uso:
to borrow [something] from [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners often confuse 'borrow' and 'lend'. Remember: you borrow FROM someone, and you lend TO someone.
Sinónimos
take on loan (More formal phrase emphasizing the legal or financial nature of borrowing.)
Antónimos
lend (The opposite action — giving something to someone temporarily.)
Colocaciones
borrow money
|borrow a book
|borrow ideas
|borrow clothes
|borrow time
Temas
daily life
|finance
|education
|daily_life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I need to borrow some sugar from my neighbor.
- She borrowed a dress from her sister for the party.
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I want to borrow a pen.
- Can I borrow your book?
- She will borrow my car.
- We borrow games from the library.
- He borrows money from the bank.
Verbo
B1
action
2
Adopt from another source
To use an idea, word, or style from another place or time.
Patrón de uso:
to borrow [an idea/word/style] from [a source]
Error frecuente:
Some learners overuse this meaning for physical objects; it is more common for ideas, words, or styles in this sense.
Sinónimos
adopt (Focuses on taking something and making it your own, sometimes permanently.)
Antónimos
originate (To create something yourself instead of taking it from elsewhere.)
Colocaciones
borrow a word
|borrow a style
|borrow an idea
Temas
language
|culture
|arts
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- English has borrowed many words from French.
- The film borrows heavily from classic horror movies.
- She borrowed the concept from Japanese architecture.
- Our menu borrows flavors from Mediterranean cuisine.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- English borrows words from many languages.
- The story borrows ideas from old books.
- This song borrows a style from jazz music.
Verbo
technical
B1
action
3
Obtain funds on credit
To get money from someone and agree to pay it back later.
Patrón de uso:
to borrow [amount of money] from [lender]
Error frecuente:
Learners may forget that this meaning implies repayment, often with interest, especially in formal contexts.
Sinónimos
take out a loan (Specifically refers to borrowing in a formal financial context.)
Antónimos
repay (The opposite stage of the borrowing process — giving back the borrowed money.)
Colocaciones
borrow money
|borrow funds
|borrow capital
Temas
finance
|business
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- The company plans to borrow $5 million to expand operations.
- She borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
- We had to borrow funds to cover the unexpected expenses.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I borrow money from the bank.
- He borrows $100 from his friend.
- They borrow money to start a shop.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
borrow
AFI
GB/bˈɑɹoʊ/
US/bˈɑɹoʊ/
Sílabas y acento
bor - row (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (bor)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: borrow
- 3rd Person Singular: borrows
- Present Participle: borrowing
- Past: borrowed
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- Don't borrow trouble by asking too many questions about it now.
- She tends to borrow trouble by imagining worst-case scenarios.