Lend vs. Borrow
Which sentence is correct?
a) Can you borrow me some money?
b) Can I borrow some money from you?
The correct way to ask for money is…… B! Can I borrow some money from you?
Here is a scenario:
You have no money until your next payday but really need some chocolate. Your friend Sara is great at saving, and you know she’s pretty generous. So you ask her:
“Sara, can I borrow $100 please?”
“Sure,” she said. “You can borrow $100 from me.”
Another option would be to say:
“Sara, can you please lend me $100?”
“Sure,” she says. “I can lend you $100.”
So what’s the difference? Lending is what Sara is doing: giving you some money for a period of time until you can pay it back.
Borrowing is what you are doing: taking Sara’s money for a period of time until you can pay it back.
Note: we can also use borrow or lend as a response to the other one. Eg:
“Sara, can I borrow $100 please?”
“Sure,” she says. “I can lend you $100.”
Or:
“Sara, can you please lend me $100?”
“Sure,” she said. “You can borrow $100 from me.”
Remember, the basic structure is “borrow FROM someone” and “lend TO someone.”
Have a go at writing some more sentences using borrow and lend in the comments below!