The idea
Ausleihen works in two directions. With a reflexive dative it means borrow: “Ich leihe mir den Akkuschrauber aus.” With a dative person it means lend: “Ich leihe dir den Akkuschrauber aus.” Zurückbringen is separable: “Ich bringe ihn dir … zurück.” When two pronouns meet, the accusative pronoun comes first: ihn dir, es mir. Akkuschrauber is masculine, so the pronoun is ihn and the possessive is deinen.
Other ways to say it
“Könnte ich mir kurz deinen Akkuschrauber borgen?” – Borgen is a common synonym; könnte and kurz make it gentler.
“Kannst du mir bis Freitag deinen Akkuschrauber leihen?” – Asks the owner to lend and names the return date in one go.
Examples
- Kann ich mir deinen Akkuschrauber ausleihen?Can I borrow your cordless screwdriver?
- Gern, ich brauche ihn am Samstag wieder.Of course; I need it back on Saturday.
- Ich bringe ihn dir am Freitag zurück.I will return it to you on Friday.
- Der zweite Akku liegt in der Tasche.The second battery is in the bag.
- Soll ich den Akku vorher aufladen?Should I charge the battery first?
- Ja, dann kann ich gleich weiterarbeiten.Yes, then I can carry on working straight away.
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Watch out
“Ich bringe dir ihn am Freitag zurück.” → “Ich bringe ihn dir am Freitag zurück.”: With two personal pronouns, German puts the accusative before the dative: ihn dir. Only nouns follow the order dative before accusative: Ich bringe dir den Akkuschrauber zurück.
Try it yourself
Translate into German: Can I borrow your cordless screwdriver?
Show answer or example answer
Kann ich mir deinen Akkuschrauber ausleihen?
Mir is a reflexive dative that turns ausleihen into borrow. Deinen is accusative masculine because der Akkuschrauber is the object.
Put the words in order: am / bringe / dir / Freitag / Ich / ihn / zurück
Show answer or example answer
Ich bringe ihn dir am Freitag zurück.
Ihn (the screwdriver) comes before dir (the owner) because pronouns order accusative first. Zurück, the separable prefix, closes the sentence.
Write this sentence in German: Yes, then I can carry on working straight away.
Show answer or example answer
Ja, dann kann ich gleich weiterarbeiten.
Dann sits in first position, so kann moves to second place before ich. Gleich means right away, and weiterarbeiten is a separable infinitive at the end.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Translate into German: Can I borrow your cordless screwdriver?
Kann ich mir deinen Akkuschrauber ausleihen?
Put the words in order: am / bringe / dir / Freitag / Ich / ihn / zurück
Ich bringe ihn dir am Freitag zurück.
Write this sentence in German: Yes, then I can carry on working straight away.
Ja, dann kann ich gleich weiterarbeiten.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Ask a neighbour in two sentences to borrow a ladder or drill, and promise a specific day when you will bring it back.