借ります（かります、karimasu）
- to borrow

The Japanese word 借ります (かります) means "to borrow". It refers to the act of receiving something from someone with the intention of returning it later. This can apply to objects, money, or even time.

⚫︎本を 借ります Translation: I will borrow a book. ⚫︎友達からお金を 借ります Translation: I will borrow money from a friend. ⚫︎自転車を 借ります Translation: I will borrow a bicycle.

⚫︎You use 借ります when you are the one receiving something temporarily. ⚫︎It's important to remember that when you 借ります something, you have an obligation to return it. ⚫︎You can use it in various contexts, from borrowing physical objects like books and tools to abstract things like favors or time. ⚫︎You typically use it in a polite form, or its casual form is also available.

⚫︎The base form of the verb is 借りる (かりる) which means "to borrow". ⚫︎借ります is the polite, present/future tense form of the verb. ⚫︎It's written in hiragana as か 借ります. ⚫︎The kanji form is 借ります. The kanji 借 (sha) means "to borrow" or "to lend". The remaining characters り、 ま、 and す are hiragana. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to kanji to show verb conjugations) is consistent and doesn't change for this form of the verb.

There aren't many direct synonyms for "to borrow" in the same way. However, you can express similar ideas with: ⚫︎借りる (かりる) - the dictionary form/plain form of "to borrow". ⚫︎レンタルする (rentaru suru) - "to rent" (often for a short-term use). This is a borrowed word from English.

The opposite of 借ります (to borrow) is: ⚫︎貸します (かします) - "to lend"

図書館で本を 借ります ・Translation: I will borrow a book from the library. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a common use of 借ります, borrowing something from a public place.

友達にペンを 借ります。 ・Translation: I will borrow a pen from my friend. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates borrowing a small item from a person you know.

The kanji 借 (sha) in 借ります combines the elements of "person" (人) and "debt" or "to owe" (昔). The original meaning reflects the concept of owing something to someone else.