Giving and Receiving in Japanese
Japanese has three main verbs for giving and receiving, and which one to use depends on the direction of the giving and the relationship between giver and receiver.
| Verb | Reading | Meaning | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| あげます | agemasu | to give | I/someone → others |
| もらいます | moraimasu | to receive | others → I/someone |
| くれます | kuremasu | to give (to me) | others → I/my group |
あげます (To Give)
Use あげます when you (or someone) gives something to another person.
Pattern
[giver] は [receiver] に [thing] を あげます
[giver] wa [receiver] ni [thing] wo agemasu
Examples
私は友達にプレゼントをあげます。
Watashi wa tomodachi ni purezento wo agemasu.
I give a present to my friend.
山田さんは田中さんに花をあげました。
Yamada-san wa Tanaka-san ni hana wo agemashita.
Mr. Yamada gave flowers to Ms. Tanaka.
Important
Never use あげます when someone gives something to you. It would sound arrogant!
もらいます (To Receive)
Use もらいます when you (or someone) receives something from another person.
Pattern
[receiver] は [giver] に/から [thing] を もらいます
[receiver] wa [giver] ni/kara [thing] wo moraimasu
Examples
私は母に時計をもらいました。
Watashi wa haha ni tokei wo moraimashita.
I received a watch from my mother.
友達からお土産をもらいました。
Tomodachi kara omiyage wo moraimashita.
I received a souvenir from my friend.
に vs から
Both に and から can be used with もらいます. に is more common for people, から emphasizes the source.
くれます (To Give to Me)
Use くれます when someone gives something to you or your in-group (family, close friends). It expresses gratitude.
Pattern
[giver] は [私/my group] に [thing] を くれます
[giver] wa [watashi/my group] ni [thing] wo kuremasu
Examples
友達が本をくれました。
Tomodachi ga hon wo kuremashita.
My friend gave me a book.
先生が私に辞書をくれました。
Sensei ga watashi ni jisho wo kuremashita.
The teacher gave me a dictionary.
Expressing Gratitude
Using くれます implies you appreciate the action. It's a natural way to show gratitude in Japanese.
Comparison Chart
私 → 友達
私は友達にあげます
I give to my friend
友達 → 私
友達がくれます
My friend gives (to me)
私 ← 友達
私は友達にもらいます
I receive from my friend