All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| leihen | lend or borrow | temporary use; money | recipient/reflexive dative + object accusative |
| ausleihen | lend out or borrow | libraries; equipment | separable: leiht … aus |
| verleihen | lend out; award | equipment; prizes and titles | inseparable ver- |
| borgen | lend or borrow | temporary use in everyday speech | regular; dative recipient/reflexive |
leihen
Meaning and usage: Leihen describes temporary transfer with an expectation of return. The subject can be the owner lending something or the borrower receiving it. A reflexive dative mir/dir/sich makes borrowing clear, especially with von or bei identifying the lender.
Grammar: Not separable; leiht–lieh–hat geliehen. Jemandem etwas leihen; sich etwas von/bei jemandem leihen. The thing is accusative; the recipient or reflexive pronoun is dative.
Ich leihe meiner Nachbarin meinen Werkzeugkasten.
I lend my neighbour my toolbox.
ausleihen
Meaning and usage: Ausleihen is common for borrowing library books or lending equipment. Both directions occur in standard usage. Read the full sentence: Die Bibliothek leiht Bücher aus describes the library lending; ich leihe mir ein Buch aus describes borrowing.
Grammar: Separable: leiht aus–lieh aus–hat ausgeliehen. The same object pattern as leihen; infinitive with zu: auszuleihen.
Ich leihe mir in der Bibliothek einen Reiseführer aus.
I borrow a travel guide from the library.
verleihen
Meaning and usage: Verleihen makes the lending direction clear. It can describe commercial lending or rental services as well as lending personally. Another important meaning is awarding a prize or title; figuratively it can mean giving a quality to something.
Grammar: Inseparable ver-; verleiht–verlieh–hat verliehen. Jemandem etwas verleihen; something may also be verliehen an jemanden.
Der Verein verleiht Fahrräder an seine Mitglieder.
The club lends bicycles to its members.
borgen
Meaning and usage: Borgen is another verb for the temporary transfer, in either direction. It is familiar in everyday speech, though people and regions differ in how often they choose it. It does not identify a legal loan type by itself.
Grammar: Not separable; borgt–borgte–hat geborgt. Jemandem etwas borgen; sich etwas von/bei jemandem borgen.
Darf ich mir deinen Regenschirm borgen?
May I borrow your umbrella?
Overlap and context
An omitted recipient can make a short sentence such as Ich leihe das Fahrrad aus ambiguous without context. Add mir for borrowing or name the recipient for lending. Verleihen also appears in award ceremonies, where no return is intended; that is a separate sense.
Common mistakes
- Do not teach ausleihen = borrow and leihen = lend as absolute rules.
- Borrowing is Ich leihe mir …, not Ich leihe mich ….
- Do not translate every verleihen as lend: a prize is awarded.
Memory aid: Read who receives the object. Mir suggests “for myself”; dir names the person receiving it.
Try it
In Ich leihe dir meinen Stift, who receives the pen?
Show the answer
You, the person addressed as dir.
Dir is the dative recipient; ich is the person lending.