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Prepositions after verbs

borrow from, for, against, at or by?

Borrow from is the standard pattern for taking something temporarily. Borrow against is used in finance. Borrow for, at, and by are usually separate adjuncts rather than fixed combinations.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with borrow?

Use borrow from to say who or where something comes from. Use borrow against in finance to mean using an asset as security for a loan. Borrow for, borrow at, and borrow by are not common fixed patterns with this verb.

Can I borrow from your notes?
The company borrowed against its future earnings.
She borrowed money for tuition fees.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
borrow from + person/place

Taking something temporarily

Borrow from identifies the source of the thing borrowed.

I borrowed from the library.
He borrowed money from his brother.
2
borrow against + asset

Using something as loan security

Borrow against is mainly used in financial contexts.

They borrowed against their property.
The business borrowed against future sales.
3
borrow for + purpose

Showing the reason for borrowing

For introduces the purpose, not a fixed verb-preposition combination.

She borrowed a laptop for the presentation.
We borrowed chairs for the event.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
borrow from
She borrowed a coat from her friend.
take something temporarily from a source
borrow against
He borrowed against his investments.
use assets as security for borrowing
borrow for
They borrowed money for repairs.
for introduces the purpose of the borrowing
borrow at
The company borrowed at a low interest rate.
at introduces the rate or condition, not a fixed pattern
borrow by
The project borrowed by issuing bonds.
by introduces the method, not a fixed pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Omitting from after borrow

Borrow usually needs from when the source is mentioned.

✕ I borrowed my neighbour a ladder. ✓ I borrowed a ladder from my neighbour.

Using lend instead of borrow

Borrow means receive temporarily; lend means give temporarily.

✕ Can you borrow me your pen? ✓ Can you lend me your pen?

Treating borrow at as a fixed combination

At usually describes rates or conditions, not a special pattern with borrow.

✕ They borrowed at the bank. ✓ They borrowed from the bank.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She borrowed some books ___ the school library.
2. The company borrowed ___ its assets to raise cash.
3. We borrowed extra tables ___ the wedding reception.

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Frequently asked questions

Is borrow from always necessary?

No. If the source is not mentioned, you can simply say borrow something.

What does borrow against mean?

It means use property, investments, or future income as security for a loan.

Can borrow be followed by for?

Yes, but for usually introduces the purpose rather than forming a fixed verb-preposition pattern.

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