Can I hear how they sound?

Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.

How can I practise this conversation?

Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

German phrases for borrowing something from a neighbour in Germany

Knock, apologise for the disturbance and ask politely: “Entschuldigen Sie die Störung” and “Könnte ich mir zehn Minuten Ihre Bohrmaschine leihen?”. Say when it will come back: “Ich bringe sie morgen zurück”. For something small, “Kann ich mir etwas Zucker leihen?” works. Return it promptly and say thank you.

Try it · about two minutes

You don’t own a drill and want to put up a shelf, so you knock next door and ask to borrow one.

Sound on: the neighbour speaks German. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

You want to put up a shelf but don’t own a drill. You knock on your neighbour’s door and they open it.
You
Entschuldigen Sie die Störung.
Sorry to bother you.
Neighbour
Brauchen Sie etwas?
Do you need anything?
You
Könnte ich mir zehn Minuten Ihre Bohrmaschine leihen?
Could I borrow your drill for ten minutes?
Neighbour
Natürlich, gerne.
Of course, gladly.
You
Ich bringe sie morgen zurück.
I’ll bring it back tomorrow.
Neighbour
Wenn Sie mal Hilfe brauchen, klopfen Sie einfach.
If you ever need a hand, just knock.
You
Das ist sehr nett von Ihnen, danke.
That’s very kind of you, thank you.
Neighbour
Schön, Sie wiederzusehen.
Nice to see you again.
You
Hier ist Ihre Bohrmaschine, vielen Dank.
Here’s your drill, thank you very much.
Neighbour
Machen Sie sich keine Sorgen.
Don’t worry about it.
You
Möchten Sie mal einen Kaffee trinken?
Would you like to have a coffee sometime?

Which German phrases do you need?

Kann ich mir etwas Zucker leihen?
Can I borrow some sugar?
Könnte ich mir zehn Minuten Ihre Bohrmaschine leihen?
Could I borrow your drill for ten minutes?
Ich bringe sie morgen zurück.
I’ll bring it back tomorrow.
Entschuldigen Sie die Störung.
Sorry to bother you.
Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?
Could I ask you something?
Natürlich, gerne.
Of course, gladly.
Brauchen Sie etwas?
Do you need anything?
Entschuldigen Sie die Umstände.
Sorry for the trouble.
Wenn Sie mal Hilfe brauchen, klopfen Sie einfach.
If you ever need a hand, just knock.
Möchten Sie mal einen Kaffee trinken?
Would you like to have a coffee sometime?

What is worth knowing in Germany?

How to borrow something

1
Knock or ring, and apologise for the disturbance.
Sorry to bother you.
2
Ask for one specific thing and say how long you need it.
Could I borrow your drill for ten minutes?
3
Bring it back when you said, clean, with a thank-you.
I’ll bring it back tomorrow.

Ask, don’t announce

Polite request

Könnte ich mir zehn Minuten Ihre Bohrmaschine leihen?

Could I borrow your drill for ten minutes?

Too blunt

Ich brauche Ihre Bohrmaschine.

I need your drill.

“Könnte ich … leihen?” (could I borrow) is the polite way to ask a neighbour. A flat statement of what you need sounds like an order.

A small thank-you

For a bigger favour, a coffee, a slice of cake or a bar of chocolate is a nice thank-you. It isn’t expected, but it is noticed, and it makes the next favour easier to ask.

Möchten Sie mal einen Kaffee trinken?

Would you like to have a coffee sometime?

Questions about this situation

Which German phrases matter most here?: “Kann ich mir etwas Zucker leihen?” (Can I borrow some sugar); “Könnte ich mir zehn Minuten Ihre Bohrmaschine leihen?” (Could I borrow your drill for ten minutes); “Ich bringe sie morgen zurück.” (I’ll bring it back tomorrow). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?: Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?: Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in German

All situations in German

Practise these phrases in Frasa

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.