JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
借 means to borrow. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 10 strokes, read かりる or しゃく. It combines 亻 (person), which carries the meaning, with 昔, which is there for its sound しゃく. It appears in 借りる (to borrow / to owe) and 拝借 ((humble) (polite) borrowing).
借 is written in 10 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
借 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 借りる | かりる | to borrow / to owe |
| 拝借 | はいしゃく | (humble) (polite) borrowing |
昔 tends to carry the sound しゃく. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 昔 | しゃく | once upon a time, antiquity |
| 借 | しゃく | borrow, rent |
| 錯 | しゃく | confused, mix |
These use 亻 or 昔 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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