Japanese Giving and Receiving Expressions: あげる, もらう, くれる Explained

2026年4月23日

あげる, もらう, and くれる are three of the most confusing Japanese verbs for learners. They all relate to giving and receiving, but the speaker’s perspective changes everything. This guide will make it clear with examples, dialogues, and a decision flowchart.

TOC

At a Glance

Verb	Reading	Meaning	Direction
あげる	ageru	To give (away from speaker)	I/we → others
もらう	morau	To receive	Others → I/we
くれる	kureru	To give (toward speaker)	Others → I/we (speaker’s side)
差し上げる	sashiageru	Polite form of あげる	I → superior
いただく	itadaku	Polite form of もらう	Receiving humbly
くださる	kudasaru	Polite form of くれる	Superior → I

Yuka

Rei, I keep mixing up あげる and くれる. They both mean “give” but they’re different?

Rei

Yes! The key is perspective. あげる means YOU give to someone else. くれる means someone gives TO YOU (or your side).

Yuka

So if I give a gift to my friend, I say プレゼントをあげた?

Rei

Correct! And if your friend gives you a gift, you say プレゼントをくれた. The gift moved toward you, so you use くれる.

Yuka

And もらう?

Rei

もらう is from the receiver’s perspective — ‘I received.’ So: 友達にプレゼントをもらった = I received a present from my friend. Same situation as くれた, just said from a different angle!

Yuka

Oh! So くれた and もらった both describe receiving, but one focuses on the giver and the other on the receiver?

Rei

Exactly. 友達がプレゼントをくれた = My friend gave me a present (friend is the subject). 友達にプレゼントをもらった = I received a present from my friend (I am the subject).

あげる — Giving Away from You

あげる is used when YOU (or someone on your side) gives something to someone else.

Example: 弟にチョコレートをあげた。
I gave my younger brother chocolate.

Example: 先生にプレゼントをあげた。
I gave my teacher a present. (Note: polite situations call for 差し上げる instead)

Key rule: The receiver is marked with に. The subject is the giver.

くれる — Someone Gives to You

くれる is used when someone else gives something to YOU or someone close to you (your side).

Example: 母が手作りのランチをくれた。
My mother gave me a homemade lunch.

Example: 友達が誕生日カードをくれた。
My friend gave me a birthday card.

Key rule: The subject is the giver (someone else). The thing moves TOWARD the speaker or the speaker’s inner circle.

もらう — Receiving

もらう is used when YOU receive something from someone. The giver is marked with に or から.

Example: 先生に推薦状を書いてもらった。
I had my teacher write me a recommendation letter. (I received the favor of writing)

Example: 友達からアドバイスをもらった。
I received advice from my friend.

Giving and Receiving Favors (て-form)

These verbs also attach to て-form to express doing/receiving ACTIONS (not just things):

Pattern	Meaning	Example
〜てあげる	I do (sth) for someone	教えてあげる = I’ll teach (you)
〜てくれる	Someone does (sth) for me	手伝ってくれた = (they) helped me
〜てもらう	I receive the favor of (sth)	直してもらった = I had it fixed

Decision Flowchart

Which verb to use?

Who is giving?
├─ YOU / your side → giving to others?
│    └─ Use あげる (or 差し上げる for superiors)
└─ OTHERS → giving to you / your side?
     ├─ Is the giver the subject? → Use くれる (くださる)
     └─ Are you the subject (receiver)? → Use もらう (いただく)

5 Practice Sentences

#	Japanese	English
1	妹に本をあげた。	I gave my younger sister a book.
2	先生が私に辞書をくれた。	My teacher gave me a dictionary.
3	父にお小遣いをもらった。	I received allowance from my father.
4	友達が宿題を手伝ってくれた。	My friend helped me with my homework.
5	上司に報告書を確認していただいた。	I had my supervisor check the report (humble).

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Correct	Why
友達はプレゼントをあげた (meaning: my friend gave ME a gift)	友達がプレゼントをくれた	When the gift comes TO you, use くれる not あげる
先生にプレゼントをくれた (I gave teacher a gift)	先生にプレゼントをあげた / 差し上げた	あげる when you are the giver; くれる is when someone else gives to you
Saying あげる when helping a superior	〜て差し上げる	あげる sounds presumptuous with superiors; use 差し上げる

Quick Quiz

Choose the correct verb:

1. 母がお弁当を___。(My mother gave me a bento.) → くれた

2. 弟にゲームを___。(I gave my younger brother a game.) → あげた

3. 先生に推薦状を書いて___。(I received the favor of the teacher writing a recommendation letter.) → もらった / いただいた

Join the Conversation!

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