届く (todoku) and 届ける (todokeru) — both written with the same kanji 届 and both related to delivery — are one of the most commonly confused verb pairs in Japanese. English speakers learning Japanese often treat them as interchangeable, but they actually describe opposite sides of the same transaction. Get them mixed up and your sentence will have the wrong subject doing the wrong thing. This guide explains the difference clearly with examples you can use immediately.
YukaRei, I’ve seen 届く and 届ける so many times but I always second-guess myself. Help!
ReiDon’t worry — this is one of the most common points of confusion for English speakers. Let me clear it up once and for all!
At a Glance: 届く vs. 届ける
| Feature | 届く (todoku) | 届ける (todokeru) |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | To arrive / to be delivered (to the recipient) | To deliver / to bring (by the sender) |
| Verb type | Intransitive (自動詞 — jidōshi) | Transitive (他動詞 — tadōshi) |
| Subject | The item (package, letter, etc.) | The person doing the delivering |
| Particle used | が (ga) — package が届く | を (wo) — package を届ける |
| Additional meaning | To reach (physically: 手が届く) | To report/submit (届けを出す) |
| JLPT level | N3 | N3 |
届く (todoku) — Something Arrives / Reaches You
届く is an intransitive verb, meaning it describes something that happens by itself — no agent is directly acting. The subject of 届く is the item being delivered (the package, the letter, the goods). Think of it as the perspective of the recipient: the thing arrives at your location.
Formation note: 届く is a Group 1 (U-verb / Godan verb). It conjugates as: 届く → 届いた (past) → 届かない (negative) → 届いて (te-form).
Example 1 — package arrives:
注文してた物が届いたよ！
Chūmon shiteta mono ga todoita yo!
The thing I ordered arrived!
Example 2 — asking about arrival:
届くのにどのくらいかかりそうですか？
Todoku no ni donokurai kakari sō desu ka?
How long do you think it will take to arrive?
Example 3 — physical “reach” meaning:
棚に手が届かない。
Tana ni te ga todokanai.
I can’t reach the shelf.
YukaOkay, that example with 届く really helped! I never saw it used that way before.
ReiRight? Seeing real examples is so much more useful than memorizing a definition. 届く is definitely one of those words you’ll start noticing everywhere.
届ける (todokeru) — You Deliver Something to Someone
届ける is a transitive verb. The subject is the person doing the delivering, and the object (marked with を) is the item being delivered. It describes an active action — someone takes something and brings it to a destination. Think of it as the perspective of the delivery person or sender.
Formation note: 届ける is a Group 2 (Ru-verb / Ichidan verb). It conjugates as: 届ける → 届けた (past) → 届けない (negative) → 届けて (te-form).
Example 1 — delivering right away:
今から届けます！
Ima kara todokemasu!
I will deliver it right now!
Example 2 — asking someone to deliver:
できたてのピザを届けてもらえますか？
Dekitate no piza wo todokete moraemasu ka?
Can you deliver a fresh pizza for me?
Example 3 — reporting / submitting (secondary meaning):
警察に届けた方がいいよ。
Keisatsu ni todoketa hō ga ii yo.
You should report it to the police.
YukaAnd 届ける — is it used in formal situations, casual ones, or both?
ReiGreat observation! 届ける actually works in both — context is everything. The comparison table coming up should make this super clear.
The Key Grammar Rule: Transitive vs. Intransitive
Japanese has many transitive / intransitive verb pairs that share similar meanings but different grammatical roles. 届く / 届ける is a classic example. Here is how to remember which is which:
| Context | 届く (intransitive) | 届ける (transitive) |
|---|---|---|
| Who/what is the subject? | The item (package が届く) | The person (私が届ける) |
| What particle marks the item? | が — item が 届く | を — item を 届ける |
| Does the subject act? | No — the item arrives on its own | Yes — the person actively delivers |
| Recipient perspective | “My package arrived” | “I delivered the package” |
| Sender perspective | Not used for sender | “The deliveryman delivers it” |
Side-by-Side Comparison with the Same Situation
Imagine a situation where a delivery person brings you a package. Both sentences below are grammatically correct, but they describe different perspectives:
荷物が届いた。
Nimotsu ga todoita.
The package arrived. (Your perspective as the recipient)
配達員が荷物を届けた。
Haitatsuin ga nimotsu wo todoketa.
The delivery person delivered the package. (The deliverer’s active action)
Decision Flowchart: 届く or 届ける?
Are you talking about delivery or reaching?
|
v
Who/what is the SUBJECT of the sentence?
| |
THE ITEM THE PERSON
(package, letter) (you, courier)
| |
v v
届く 届ける
(arrives at you) (you actively deliver)Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!
YukaI feel ready! Let’s see how well I really know 届く and 届ける.
ReiLet’s find out! Don’t peek at the answers until you’ve tried each one yourself.
Choose 届く or 届ける (conjugate as needed) for each sentence.
Q1. The letter finally arrived today.
手紙がやっと今日＿＿＿。
Tegami ga yatto kyō ___.
Answer: 届いた (todoita) — The letter is the subject; it arrived by itself. Use 届く (past form).
Q2. I will deliver this document to the office.
この書類を会社に＿＿＿。
Kono shorui wo kaisha ni ___.
Answer: 届ける (todokeru) — You (the person) are actively taking the document somewhere. Transitive verb, を particle.
Q3. Has the package arrived yet?
荷物はもう＿＿＿か？
Nimotsu wa mō ___ ka?
Answer: 届きましたか (todokimashita ka) — The package is the subject. Use 届く (polite past question form).
Q4. Can you deliver the pizza fresh out of the oven?
できたてのピザを＿＿＿もらえますか？
Dekitate no piza wo ___ moraemasu ka?
Answer: 届けて (todokete) — You are asking someone to actively deliver (te-form of 届ける).
Q5. I can’t reach the top shelf.
一番上の棚に手が＿＿＿。
Ichiban ue no tana ni te ga ___.
Answer: 届かない (todoka nai) — 届く also means “to reach” physically. The hand (subject) cannot reach. Use the negative form of 届く.
＼ Learn Japanese with a personal native teacher!／
あわせて読みたい
Love learning Japanese verb pairs? Check out our guide on 直す (naosu) vs. 直る (naoru) — another essential transitive/intransitive pair:
Also explore the difference between 見せる (miseru) and 見る (miru) — show vs. see:
Comments