Giving and receiving: あげる, くれる, もらう
There is no single verb “to give” here: there are three, and the right one depends on which way the thing travels. あげる is giving from me (or mine) outwards: 私は友達に本をあげました. くれる is giving from outside towards me: 友達が私に本をくれました, which is why 友達が本をあげました sounds wrong if I am the receiver. もらう is receiving, and the giver takes に or から: 友達に本をもらいました. With the て form, the same three verbs express favours: 手伝ってあげる (I lend a hand), 手伝ってくれる (they lend me a hand), 手伝ってもらう (I get them to). This is the part of the grammar where Japanese states who owes whom a favour.
Where this sits
- Comes after
- The て form
Exercises from this rung
Generated by the app, from easiest to hardest
友達が私に本を___。
- くれました
- やりました
- あげました
- もらいました
Why くれる is giving towards me. It is the only one of the three that requires the receiver to be me or someone in my circle, which is why 私に is usually left out: the verb already says it.
easier友達___本をもらいました。
- を
- が
- へ
- に
Why With もらう the giver takes に or から; から is clearer when the giver is an institution. The same sentence with くれる would flip the particles: 友達が本をくれました.
in between部長にお土産を___。
- いただきました
- あげました
- もらいました
- くれました
Why いただく is the humble form of もらう, used when the giver is above you. Its respectful partner is くださる, and the humble form of あげる is 差し上げる. With a superior, the neutral verb sounds disrespectful.
harder