What does “kariru” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “kariru” to mean ‘to borrow’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this verb as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to use “kariru” more properly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
- Definition and meaning of “kariru”
- Karinai: the nai form of “kariru”
- Kariyou: the volitional form of “kariru”
- Karimasu: the masu form of “kariru”
- Karita: the ta form of “kariru”
- Karite: the te form of “kariru”
- Karireba: the ba form of “kariru”
- Summary
Definition and meaning of “kariru”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “kariru”.
- kariru – 借りる (かりる) : a verb meaning ‘to borrow’ in Japanese.
The definition and meaning are very simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use this verb through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to say “borrow” in Japanese
boku wa tokidoki okane wo kariru – 僕は時々お金を借りる (ぼくはときどきおかねをかりる)
I sometimes borrow money.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- tokidoki – 時々 (ときどき) : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘sometimes’ in Japanese.
- okane – お金 (おかね) : a noun meaning ‘money’ in Japanese.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “okane” to make the object in the sentence.
This is a typical usage of “kariru”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to have the object. When we want to mean ‘to borrow’ in Japanese, this verb is a very good option.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kariru” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “karinai”.
Karinai: the nai form of “kariru”
Below are the definition and meaning of “karinai”.
- karinai – 借りない (かりない) : the nai form of “kariru”, which means ‘not to borrow’ in Japanese.
Grammatically, “karinai” consists of the following two parts:
- kari – 借り (かり) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of “not”.
From these two parts, we can understand that “karinai” is literally the nai form of “kariru” and means ‘not to borrow’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this nai form through the example sentence below.
Example #2: how to say “don’t borrow” in Japanese
boku wa kare kara okane wo karinai – 僕は彼からお金を借りない (ぼくはかれからおかねをかりない)
I don’t borrow money from him.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- kara – から : a case particle used to say where someone or something comes from. In the example, this is used after “kare” to say where the money comes from.
This is a typical usage of “karinai”. When we want to mean ‘not to borrow’ in Japanese, this nai form is a good option.
Kariyou: the volitional form of “kariru”
Below are the definition and meaning of “kariyou”.
- kariyou – 借りよう (かりよう) : the volitional form of “kariru”, which expresses volition to borrow.
Grammatically, “kariyou” consists of the following two parts:
- kari – 借り (かり) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “you”.
- you – よう : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its volitional form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “kariyou” is literally the voltional form of “kariru” and expresses volition to borrow. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #3: how to say “let’s borrow” in Japanese
ginkou kara takusan okane wo kariyou – 銀行からたくさんお金を借りよう (ぎんこうからたくさんおかねをかりよう)
Let’s borrow a lot of money from the bank!
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ginkou – 銀行 (ぎんこう) : a noun meaning ‘bank’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- takusan – たくさん : an adverb meaning ‘many’, ‘much’, ‘a lot’, or such in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “kariyou”. In this example, it works to make the suggestion. When we want to say “let’s borrow” in Japanese, this volitional form is a good option.
Karimasu: the masu form of “kariru”
Below are the definition and meaning of “karimasu”.
- karimasu – 借ります (かります) : the masu form of “kariru”, which means ‘to borrow’ politely in Japanese.
Grammatically, “karimasu” consists of the following two parts:
- kari – 借り (かり) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “masu”.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “karimasu” is literally the masu form of “kariru” and means ‘to borrow’ politely in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.
Example #4: how to say “borrow” politely in Japanese
tamani kanojo wa kareshi kara okane wo karimasu – たまに彼女は彼氏からお金を借ります (たまにかのじょはかれしからおかねをかります)
Occasionally, she borrows money from her boyfriend.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- tamani – たまに : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘occasionally’ in Japanese.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- kareshi – 彼氏 (かれし) : a noun meaning ‘boyfriend’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “karimasu”. Its politeness has not been reflected in the English sentence, but the Japanese sentence sounds polite thanks to the masu form. When we want to say “borrow” politely in Japanese, this form is a good option.
Karita: the ta form of “kariru”
Below are the definition and meaning of “karita”.
- karita – 借りた (かりた) : the ta form of “kariru”, which means ‘borrowed’ in Japanese.
Grammatically, “karita” consists of the following two parts:
- kari – 借り (かり) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “karita” is literally the ta form of “kariru” and means ‘borrowed’ in Japanese. Let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #5: how to say “borrowed” in Japanese
watashi wa tomodachi kara kasa wo karita – 私は友達から傘を借りた (わたしはともだちからかさをかりた)
I borrowed an umbrella from my friend.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- tomodachi – 友達 (ともだち) : a noun meaning ‘friend’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- kasa – 傘 (かさ) : a noun meaning ‘umbrella’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
This is a typical usage of “karita”. When we want to use the past tense form of “kariru”, this ta form is the best option.
Karite: the te form of “kariru”
Below are the definition and meaning of “karite”.
- karite – 借りて (かりて) : the te form of “kariru”, which means ‘to borrow’ in Japanese.
Grammatically, “karite” consists of the following two parts:
- kari – 借り (かり) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “karite” is literally the te form of “kariru”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make smooth connections of words. So, “karite” is very useful when we want to use “kariru” in front of another verb, an adjective, or an auxiliary verb. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.
Example #6: how to say “borrow and” in Japanese
kare wa itsumo koibito kara okane wo karite dekakeru – 彼はいつも恋人からお金を借りて出掛ける (かれはいつもこいびとからおかねをかりてでかける)
He always borrows money from his girlfriend and goes out.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- itsumo – いつも : an adverb of frequency meaning ‘always’ in Japanese.
- koibito – 恋人 (こいびと) : a noun meaning ‘boyfriend’, ‘girlfriend’, or just ‘lover’ in Japanese.
- dekakeru – 出掛ける (でかける) : a verb meaning ‘to go out’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “karite”. In this example, it has the smooth connection with “dekakeru”. When we want to use “kariru” in front of another verb, its te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.
Karireba: the ba form of “kariru”
Lastly, let me explain the definition and meaning of “karireba”.
- karireba – 借りれば (かりれば) : the ba form of “kariru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to borrow’ in Japanese.
Grammatically, “karireba” consists of the following two parts:
- karire – 借りれ (かりれ) : one conjugation of “kariru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
- ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “karireba” is literally the ba form of “kariru”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “karireba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to borrow’. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.
Example #7: how to say “if borrow” in Japanese
kasa wo karireba, ie made arukeru – 傘を借りれば、家まで歩ける (かさをかりれば、いえまであるける)
If you borrow an umbrella, you can walk home.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ie – 家 (いえ) : a noun meaning ‘home’ or ‘house’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- made – まで : an adverbial particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “ie” to indicate the destination.
- arukeru – 歩ける (あるける) : a potential verb meaning ‘can walk’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “karireba”. In this example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “kasa wo karireba”, which means ‘if you borrow an umbrella’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to borrow’, this ba form is a good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “kariru” and its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- kariru – 借りる (かりる) : a verb meaning ‘to borrow’ in Japanese.
- karinai – 借りない (かりない) : the nai form of “kariru”, which means ‘not to borrow’ in Japanese.
- kariyou – 借りよう (かりよう) : the volitional form of “kariru”, which expresses volition to borrow.
- karimasu – 借ります (かります) : the masu form of “kariru”, which means ‘to borrow’ politely in Japanese.
- karita – 借りた (かりた) : the ta form of “kariru”, which means ‘borrowed’ in Japanese.
- karite – 借りて (かりて) : the te form of “kariru”, which means ‘to borrow’ in Japanese. When we want to use “kariru” in front of another verb, this te form is very useful to make a smooth connection.
- karireba – 借りれば (かりれば) : the ba form of “kariru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with meaning ‘to borrow’ in Japanese.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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