N4#verbs#giving#receiving#n4-grammar

N4 Integrated Dialogue Lesson 7: Giving and Receiving (あげる/もらう)

Master the Japanese verbs of giving and receiving: あげる (to give) and もらう (to receive).

Context

A Birthday Surprise

Imagine you are at a friend's birthday party. You brought a gift for them, and they are showing you a beautiful watch they received from their parents. In Japanese, describing who gave what to whom requires specific verbs depending on the direction of the action.

Japanese culture places high importance on the relationship between the giver and the receiver. Using the wrong verb can sound unnatural or even rude. Today, we will look at how to express these social exchanges.

Explanation

The Giving and Receiving Formula

To express giving or receiving, we use particles to mark the giver (は/が) and the receiver (に).

GiverはReceiverにObjectをあげます / もらいます

Use あげる (ageru) when you give something to someone else. Use もらう (morau) when you receive something from someone. The particle に (ni) indicates the person receiving the action.

Tip

Remember: With もらう, the subject is the person who receives the item. So, 'I received a gift from Tanaka-san' becomes 'Tanaka-san ni moraimashita'.

Examples

Examples in Action

See how these verbs function in everyday sentences.

私(わたし)は友達(ともだち)にプレゼント(ぷれぜんと)をあげました。

I gave a present to my friend.

私わたしI友達ともだちfriendプレゼントぷれぜんとpresentあげましたあげましたgave

母(はは)に花(はな)をもらいました。

I received flowers from my mother.

母ははmother花はなflowerもらいましたもらいましたreceived

田中さんは私【に】本をくれました。

Hint: Use the particle that marks the receiver.

Tanaka-san gave me a book.

Usage

Nuance and Register

When do we use these verbs? Understanding the perspective is key.

While 'ageru' and 'morau' are standard, be careful not to use them when talking about superiors. For superiors, we use more humble or respectful verbs (like 'sashiageru' or 'itadaku'), which are N3 level.

Which verb should you use if you are the one receiving the item?

あげる
✓ もらう

もらう is used when you are the receiver of the item.

Deep dive

Deep Dive: The 'Kureru' Exception

What if someone gives something to YOU?

Using くれる (kureru)

When someone gives something to you (or your in-group), we use くれる (kureru) instead of 'ageru'. It implies that the giver was kind enough to do the action for you.

Summary

Lesson Summary

You have learned the basics of giving and receiving. Remember that 'ageru' is for giving to others, and 'morau' is for receiving from others.

あげる

あげるverb

to give

もらう

もらうverb

to receive

くれる

くれるverb

to give (to me)

プレゼント

ぷれぜんとnoun

present

友達

ともだちnoun

friend