借 meaning and stroke order
To borrow; (used in combination with 給|给[gei3] or 出[chu1] etc) to lend; to make use of; to avail oneself of
How to write 借, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 借
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to borrow
- (used in combination with 給|给[gei3] or 出[chu1] etc) to lend
- to make use of; to avail oneself of
- (sometimes followed by 著|着[zhe5]) by; with
- variant of 借[jie4]
How 借 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 昔 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 借
借 is a person 亻 next to 昔 (xī), which gives the sound. Picture a person asking for something that belonged to someone else before, since 昔 means "former times", and you get the idea of borrowing.
借 means both "borrow" and "lend". The direction comes from the sentence: 跟/向 someone 借 means borrow from them, and 借给 someone means lend to them. Example: 我可以借你的笔吗？(Wǒ kěyǐ jiè nǐ de bǐ ma?) Can I borrow your pen?
Common mistake: Learners often say 我借你钱 when they mean "I lend you money", which sounds unclear. Say 我借给你钱 (wǒ jiè gěi nǐ qián) to lend, and 我跟你借钱 (wǒ gēn nǐ jiè qián) to borrow. Also do not confuse 借 with 惜 (xī, to cherish), which has 忄 instead of 亻.
Common words with 借
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 借鉴 | jièjiàn | to draw on (others' experience); to learn from (how others do things) | HSK 6 |
| 借口 | jièkǒu | to use as an excuse; excuse; pretext | HSK 7-9 |
| 借用 | jièyòng | to borrow sth for another use; to borrow an idea for one's own use | HSK 7-9 |
| 借助 | jièzhù | to draw support from; with the help of | HSK 7-9 |
| 凭借 | píngjiè | to rely on; to depend on | HSK 7-9 |
| 借条 | jiètiáo | receipt for a loan; IOU | HSK 7-9 |
| 借给 | jiègěi | to lend to sb | |
| 借钱 | jièqián | to borrow money; to lend money | |
| 借此 | jiècǐ | using this as a pretext; thereby | |
| 借过 | jièguò | excuse me (i.e. let me through, please) | |
| 借着 | jièzhe | by means of; through; with the help of | |
| 借款 | jièkuǎn | to lend money; to borrow money | |
| 借贷 | jièdài | to borrow or lend money; debit and credit items on a balance sheet | |
| 借问 | jièwèn | (honorific) May I ask? |
借 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 借
How many strokes are in 借?
借 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 借 mean?
借 (jiè) means to borrow; (used in combination with 給|给[gei3] or 出[chu1] etc) to lend; to make use of; to avail oneself of. A common word with it is 借鉴 (jièjiàn), meaning "to draw on (others' experience); to learn from (how others do things)".
How do you pronounce 借?
借 is pronounced jiè, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 借?
The radical of 借 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 借 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 借?
The traditional form of 借 is 藉. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 借 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 借 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 借 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 借 and 租?
借 (jiè) means borrowing or lending, usually for free, like a book from a friend. 租 (zū) means renting for money, like 租房子 (zū fángzi), to rent an apartment.
How is 借 used to mean "with the help of" or "taking advantage of"?
In words like 借助 (jièzhù) and 凭借 (píngjiè), 借 means to make use of something. For example, 借这个机会 (jiè zhège jīhuì) means "taking this opportunity", a common phrase in speeches.