German for Borrowing a Vacuum Cleaner from a Neighbor: Polite Request Phrases
Learn to ask a neighbor to lend you their vacuum cleaner in friendly, natural German, with the key verb ausleihen and the pattern Könnte ich mir ... ausleihen?
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Borrowing something from a neighbor is a small everyday situation, but the wording matters. In German, the object you want is a Staubsauger, the person next door is your Nachbar or Nachbarin, and the action of borrowing is expressed with ausleihen. This lesson gives you reusable, friendly phrases for knocking on a door, explaining why you need the appliance, and agreeing on when to return it. You will practice the polite question pattern Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen? and learn how to switch between formal and informal address depending on how well you know the person. The focus is on spoken, neighborly German you can use the same day, not on bureaucratic or commercial rental language.
By the end, you can…
- politely ask a neighbor to lend me their vacuum cleaner in German.
- explain briefly why I need it and say when I will bring it back.
- switch between formal Sie and informal du in a neighborly conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen?
Could I borrow your vacuum cleaner?
KÖN-te ikh meer EER-en SHTOUP-zow-ger OUS-ly-en
Formal, friendly request to a neighbor you address with Sie. The reflexive mir is optional but common in spoken German.
Kann ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen?
Can I borrow your vacuum cleaner?
kan ikh meer DY-nen SHTOUP-zow-ger OUS-ly-en
Informal version for a neighbor you already call du. Kann is more direct than Könnte, so add bitte if you want it softer.
Mein Staubsauger ist kaputt, und ich wollte kurz saugen.
My vacuum cleaner is broken, and I wanted to vacuum quickly.
mine SHTOUP-zow-ger ist ka-POOT, unt ikh VOL-te korts ZOW-gen
A short reason before or after the request. Saugen here means to vacuum; staubsaugen is also correct.
Ich bringe ihn Ihnen morgen zurück.
I'll bring it back to you tomorrow.
ikh BRING-e een EER-en MOR-gen tsu-RÜK
Formal promise with a clear time. Informal: Ich bringe ihn dir morgen zurück. The pronoun ihn refers to der Staubsauger.
Vielen Dank, das ist wirklich nett von Ihnen.
Many thanks, that's really kind of you.
FEE-len dank, das ist VEERK-likh net fon EER-en
Warm closing after the neighbor agrees. Informal: ... nett von dir.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a modal verb plus the reflexive mir plus the infinitive ausleihen at the end: Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen? The modal verb sits in second position, and ausleihen goes to the end of the sentence. You can swap the object: Könnte ich mir Ihren Bohrer ausleihen? (Could I borrow your drill?) or Kann ich mir deinen Eimer ausleihen? (Can I borrow your bucket?). Ausleihen means to borrow something from someone; the person lending uses verleihen or simply leihen. Keep the possessive correct: Ihren for formal Sie, deinen for informal du, both in the accusative because Staubsauger is masculine.
When to use it
Use Könnte ich ...? when you want to sound especially polite, for example with an older neighbor or someone you have only greeted briefly. Use Kann ich ...? with a neighbor you already know well, and add bitte to soften it. In many German apartment buildings, a quick request at the door works better than a long explanation. If you are not sure whether the neighbor uses du or Sie, start with the formal version; they may offer du, and you can then switch: Kann ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen? A clear return time such as heute Abend or morgen früh makes the request easier to accept.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Guten Tag, Frau Weber. Entschuldigen Sie die Störung. Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen?
Hello, Mrs. Weber. Sorry to bother you. Could I borrow your vacuum cleaner?GOO-ten tahk, frow VAY-ber. ent-SHUL-di-gen zee dee SHTÖR-ung. KÖN-te ikh meer EER-en SHTOUP-zow-ger OUS-ly-enHallo! Ja, natürlich. Mein alter Staubsauger steht im Keller. Ist bei Ihnen etwas kaputt?
Hello! Yes, of course. My old vacuum cleaner is in the basement. Is something broken at your place?ha-LO! yah, na-TÜR-likh. mine AL-ter SHTOUP-zow-ger shtayt im KEL-er. ist by EER-en ET-vas ka-POOTMein Staubsauger ist leider kaputt, und ich wollte heute noch saugen. Ich bringe ihn Ihnen morgen zurück.
My vacuum cleaner is unfortunately broken, and I wanted to vacuum today. I'll bring it back to you tomorrow.mine SHTOUP-zow-ger ist LY-der ka-POOT, unt ikh VOL-te HOY-te nokh ZOW-gen. ikh BRING-e een EER-en MOR-gen tsu-RÜKKein Problem. Ich bin heute bis acht zu Hause. Vielen Dank für die Rückgabe morgen.
No problem. I'm home today until eight. Thanks for returning it tomorrow.kine pro-BLAYM. ikh bin HOY-te bis akht tsu HOW-ze. FEE-len dank für dee RÜK-gah-be MOR-genA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, neighbors in apartment buildings often help each other with small household items, but the request should be brief and specific. Using Sie with a neighbor you do not know well is safe and respectful; many people then offer du, which signals a more relaxed relationship. A clear return time is part of good neighborly manners, and a short thank-you when you bring the item back is expected. Regional differences exist: in some areas, people address neighbors more formally for years, while in others du is common quickly. Follow the other person's lead rather than assuming.
One thing to watch for
Kann ich leihen deinen Staubsauger?
Try this instead: German word order puts the infinitive at the end and uses ausleihen for borrowing from someone: Kann ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen? If you want to say that you lend something to someone, use leihen or verleihen: Ich leihe dir meinen Staubsauger.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely ask a neighbor you address with Sie to borrow their vacuum cleaner?
Show a sample answer
Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen?
This uses the polite modal Könnte, the reflexive mir, the formal possessive Ihren, and the infinitive ausleihen at the end. Kann ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen? is also correct but slightly more direct.
2Your neighbor says du to you. How do you switch the request to informal address?
Show a sample answer
Kann ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen?
The informal possessive deinen replaces Ihren, and Kann is common with du. Könnte ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen? also works if you want to stay extra polite.
3How do you promise to return the vacuum cleaner tomorrow, using formal address?
Show a sample answer
Ich bringe ihn Ihnen morgen zurück.
The pronoun ihn refers to der Staubsauger, Ihnen is the formal dative form, and zurück is separated at the end. Ich bringe ihn dir morgen zurück is the informal equivalent.
For a friendly neighborly request in German, use Könnte ich mir Ihren Staubsauger ausleihen? with Sie, or Kann ich mir deinen Staubsauger ausleihen? with du, and always name a clear return time.
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