CultureEssayEtymologyLanguageUncorrected

Can I borrow the toilet?

  • When we want to use a bathroom, we often say “トイレを借りてもいいですか?(Can I borrow the toilet?)”


    However, the verb “borrow” implies physically borrowing something from someone and that you must give back to it later, so it sounds strange.

    I learned that we should to say something like the followings.

    ・Can I use the bathroom?
    ・May I use the restroom/washroom?
    ・I have to go the toilet.
    ・I’d like to wash my hands.
    ・I’m just going to use the loo.
    ・May I inspect the geography of the building?

    By the way, most restaurants and shops in Japan have a bathroom, and we can go there without asking.

    Original sentence