Giving & Receiving Lesson 2
Mastering the usage of ～てあげる, ～てくれる, and ～てもらう to express favors and actions done for others.
Doing favors for others
In Japanese, it is important to specify who is doing a favor for whom. If you help a friend move, or if a teacher explains a difficult concept to you, the verb you use changes based on the direction of the action.
The Te-Form + Giving/Receiving
To express that someone does an action for another person, we use the te-form of the main verb followed by あげる, くれる, or もらう.
- ～てあげる: Used when you do something for someone else. 2. ～てくれる: Used when someone does something for you (or your group). 3. ～てもらう: Used when you receive the favor of someone doing something for you.
Tip
Seeing it in action
Here are common ways to use these structures.
友達に日本語を教えてあげました。
I taught Japanese to my friend.
母が料理を作ってくれました。
My mother cooked for me.
先生に宿題を直して【もらいました】。
Hint: Use the past tense of もらう.
I had the teacher correct my homework.
Nuance and Register
Choosing the right verb depends on your relationship with the person and who is the focus of the sentence.
Focus of the action
～てあげる
Focus on the giver's effort.
荷物を持ってあげた。
～てもらう
Focus on the receiver's gratitude.
荷物を持ってもらった。
Which sentence sounds more polite/humble when asking for a favor?
- 写真を撮ってあげる？
- ✓ 写真を撮ってもらえますか？
～てもらえますか is a polite request form, whereas ～てあげる is used for offering to do something.
Advanced nuances
Understanding the 'in-group' vs 'out-group' dynamic.
The 'In-group' Rule
Recap
You have learned how to use te-form verbs with あげる, くれる, and もらう to describe favors. Remember: あげる is for giving, くれる is for receiving (from others), and もらう is for receiving (from your perspective).