Chinese phrase
可以借〜吗？ ké yǐ jiè 〜 ma
Meaning
Can I borrow ___?
When to use it
This phrase politely asks to borrow something. It suits everyday requests and sounds respectful but natural. The item being borrowed follows it.
Example dialogue
我手机没电了，可以借一下你的手机吗？ wǒ shǒu jī méi diàn le ké yǐ jiè yí xià nǐ de shǒu jī ma
My phone died. Can I borrow your phone for a moment?
可以，给你用一下。 ké yǐ gěi nǐ yòng yí xià
Sure, here you go.