1.
to get help from someone; to enlist someone's assistance
To ask for or receive practical assistance from another person. Literally means to borrow someone's hands, implying physical or practical help rather than emotional support.
友人の手を借りて引っ越しをした。
I moved house with the help of a friend.
誰の手も借りずに一人でやった。
I did it alone without anyone's help.
専門家の手を借りなければ、この問題は解決できないだろう。
This problem probably can't be solved without the help of an expert.
A common idiomatic expression where 手 (hand) represents labor or assistance. The person whose help is borrowed is marked with の. The negative pattern 誰の手も借りずに (without anyone's help) is especially common.
The related expression 猫の手も借りたい (so busy I'd even borrow a cat's paws) is a well-known idiom describing extreme busyness.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 〜の手を借りる: to get help from ~
- 誰の手も借りずに: without anyone's help
- 人の手を借りる: to get someone's help
- 猫の手も借りたい: so busy one would accept help from anyone (idiom)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 手伝ってもらう: to have someone help — more direct and everyday
- 力を借りる: to borrow someone's strength/ability — similar but implies needing someone's influence or ability, not just labor
- 助けを求める: to seek help — more urgent, often implies a plea