The main objective of this study is to compare the regional variations of Chinese strategies for borrowing notes, book and money. A role play questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain the study data from two Chinese cities, Hangzhou and Lanzhou. The data was used to study the Chinese borrowing strategies in terms of lexical and phrasal modifications.The study found that such strategies are greatly affected by the social relations between the interlocutors and the objects to be borrowed. In addition, the influence of dialects and regional customs plays important roles in the selection of borrowing strategies. Major differences in "borrowing" expressions were revealed between the northern and southen regions of China.
