Tu peux lui emprunter du lait.
I feel that lui is a bad translation in English if it is translated as a pronominal: I can borrow him some milk.
But I am probably wrong.
Any suggestions?
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1 Answer
Lui is an indirect complement here:
You can borrow milk from him/her.
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2@Roger Vadim: I don't believe borrow to him exists in English. Do you mean borrow for him? Commented Aug 13, 2022 at 15:26
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1@roger Vadim: he lent a shirt to me, or (less common) he loaned a shirt to me. But you're quite possibly right about what the OP meant by I can borrow him some milk. Commented Aug 13, 2022 at 16:55
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2@Roger Vadim: They have different verbs for them in French, too. You can lend him milk would be tu peux lui prêter du lait. Commented Aug 13, 2022 at 22:52
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2@PeterShor well, emprunter is the commonly used verb for this, would you be out of some ingredient and knock at your neighbour's door to borrow something, then your would ask Puis-je vous emprunter du lait ?. I guess because un prêt has that connotation of something you have to give back, while it is obvious you cannot give back an ingredient you've used in a receipt. Commented Aug 14, 2022 at 14:29
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2But then for something you would be able to give back, the two sounds right: Puis-je t'emprunter ce vêtement ? / Peux-tu me prêter ce vêtement ?. Commented Aug 14, 2022 at 14:31