Giving & Receiving Lesson 3
Mastering the usage of ～てあげる, ～てくれる, and ～てもらう to describe favors and actions done for others.
Doing favors for others
In Japanese, simply saying 'I did X' often isn't enough when you want to express that you did something as a favor for someone else, or that someone did a favor for you. These structures help clarify the direction of the action.
The Te-form + Giving/Receiving
To express doing a favor, we combine the te-form of a verb with あげる (to give), くれる (to give to me/us), or もらう (to receive).
- ～てあげる: You do something for someone else. (I do X for you/him/her).
- ～てくれる: Someone does something for you. (They do X for me).
- ～てもらう: You get someone to do something for you. (I receive the favor of X being done).
Watch out
Examples in action
See how these verbs change the perspective of the action.
友達に日本語を教えてあげました。
I taught Japanese to my friend (as a favor).
母が料理を作ってくれました。
My mother cooked a meal for me.
先生に直してもらいました。
I had the teacher correct it for me.
Which sentence means 'My brother fixed my computer for me'?
- 兄がパソコンを直してあげました。
- ✓ 兄がパソコンを直してくれました。
- 兄にパソコンを直してもらいました。
～てくれました indicates the action was done for the speaker's benefit by someone else.
Nuance and Register
Choosing the right verb depends on who is performing the action and who is receiving the benefit.
Perspective
～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 form is generally more polite/humble when asking for a favor?
- ～てあげる
- ✓ ～てもらう
Using ～てもらう (or the more polite ～ていただけますか) is standard for requesting favors, as it focuses on the benefit you received rather than the other person's action.
Deep Dive: Advanced nuances
Additional notes for advanced usage.
Summary
You have learned how to use the te-form with giving and receiving verbs to express favors. Remember: あげる is for giving, くれる is for receiving (from others), and もらう is for receiving (by your own initiative).