借...畀 / 同...借

Lend Versus Borrow

Level 4

In Cantonese, the verb 借 (ze3) is neutral. To specify direction, you usually add markers: 畀 (bei2) for lending (away) and 同 (tung4) for borrowing (toward).

How It Works

Unlike English, where 'borrow' and 'lend' are distinct verbs, Cantonese uses the single verb 借 (ze3) for both. To avoid confusion, specific prepositions indicate the direction of the transaction.

  • Lending (Direction: Away): When you give something to someone temporarily, you use the dative marker 畀 (bei2). You can say 借錢畀佢 (ze3 cin2 bei2 keoi5) 'lend money to him' or 借畀佢 (ze3 bei2 keoi5) 'lend to him'.
  • Borrowing (Direction: Toward): When you take something from someone temporarily, you use the preposition 同 (tung4) before the verb. The structure is [Subject] + 同 + [Source] + 借. For example, 我同佢借錢 (ngo5 tung4 keoi5 ze3 cin2) 'I borrow money from him'.

In formal contexts, 向 (hoeng3) often replaces 同 (tung4) for borrowing (e.g., 向銀行借錢). To further clarify, speakers often add directional particles like 出 (ceot1) for lending out or 嚟 (lai4) for borrowing 'hither'.

Examples (5)

  1. 我借咗本書畀佢。

    I lent a book to him.

    Word by Word: I lend [perfective] book to him.

    Using 咗 (zo2) for past action and 畀 (bei2) to show the book is going to the recipient.

  2. 我同阿媽借咗一百蚊。

    I borrowed $100 from my mom.

    Word by Word: I with mom borrow [perfective] one hundred dollars.

    The preposition 同 (tung4) indicates the source from whom the money is borrowed.

  3. 可唔可以借枝筆畀我？

    Can you lend me a pen?

    Word by Word: Can not can borrow [classifier] pen to me?

    A common request using the 可唔可以 pattern and 畀 (bei2) to indicate the speaker is the recipient.

  4. 佢成日同人借錢。

    He is always borrowing money from people.

    Word by Word: He always with people borrow money.

    Here, 同人 (tung4 jan4) means 'from others/people'.

  5. 呢度啲書唔借得出去㗎。

    The books here cannot be lent out.

    Word by Word: Here [plural] books not borrow can out [particle].

    Uses 出 (ceot1) to emphasize the direction of lending 'out' of the building.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the preposition entirely.

    我借佢錢。
    我借錢畀佢。 / 我同佢借錢。

    Without 同 (tung4) or 畀 (bei2), the sentence is ambiguous. It could mean 'I lend him money' or 'I borrow money from him,' and sounds like broken grammar.

  • Using 畀 (bei2) when you mean 'borrow'.

    Different Meaning我畀佢借錢。
    我同佢借錢。

    我畀佢借錢 is a correct sentence, but it means 'I let him borrow money', so I am the lender. To say you borrow from him, use 同佢借錢. 畀 (bei2) marks the person who receives.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

借...畀 / 同...借Level 4Lend Versus Borrow

Learn This First

To distinguish between 'lend' and 'borrow' in Cantonese, you need to understand how the coverbs '同' (with/from) and '畀' (to/give) clarify the direction of the action '借', as well as how objects are ordered in these sentences.

Words in This Pattern