Breakdown of kono jisho o karite mo ii desu ka?
ですdesu
to be
をo
direct object particle
かka
question particle
このkono
this
借りるkariru
to borrow
〜て も いい〜te mo ii
to be permitted to
辞書jisho
dictionary
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Questions & Answers about kono jisho o karite mo ii desu ka?
Why is この used instead of その or あの?
この is a demonstrative adjective meaning “this,” used for something close to the speaker.
- その (“that”) refers to something closer to the listener.
- あの (“that over there”) indicates something distant from both speaker and listener.
What role does the particle を play after 辞書?
The particle を marks 辞書 as the direct object of the verb 借りる (“to borrow”). It tells you what is being borrowed.
Why is 借りる used here instead of 貸す?
- 借りる means “to borrow” (the speaker receives).
- 貸す means “to lend” (the speaker gives).
Since you’re asking permission to take the dictionary, you use 借りる.
How do you form the て-form of 借りる to get 借りて?
借りる is a る-verb. To make its て-form:
- Drop る → 借り
- Add て → 借りて
That て-form is used to connect to もいいですか in the permission structure.
What does the structure Vて + もいいですか mean?
Vて + もいいですか literally means “Is it okay if I ~?” or “May I ~?” It’s the standard way to ask for permission:
- 借りて (te-form of borrow) + もいいですか？ → “May I borrow…?”
Why are て and も often written together as ても?
Grammatically, ても is one unit: V-て + も combines to mean “even if ~” or in permission “if I do ~, is it okay?” In textbooks you might see 借りて も spaced out for clarity, but native writers usually merge them to 借りても.
What is the purpose of か at the end of the sentence?
The particle か turns the phrase into a question. Without か, 借りてもいいです would be a statement (“It is okay to borrow”), not a request.
How would you make this sentence more informal or plain?
In casual speech you can drop です and か:
- この辞書を借りてもいい？
Or use the plain polite form without です at all: - この辞書、借りていい？
Is there an alternative expression using かまいませんか instead of もいいですか?
Yes. かまいませんか also asks permission, with a slightly more formal or polite tone:
- この辞書を借りてもかまいませんか？
It means essentially the same thing as 借りてもいいですか, but かまいませんか can feel more deferential.