English has one main verb for giving: give. Japanese has several, and the one you choose depends on who gives to whom. These verbs, called jujudōshi (授受動詞), appear from N5 and N4 vocabulary all the way to N3 grammar. They also turn up constantly in daily conversation, so they are worth getting right early.
The core idea: direction
Think of the speaker (or the speaker's side) as the center of a circle.
- あげる — giving away from the center: I give to someone, or someone gives to someone else.
- くれる — giving toward the center: someone gives to me (or to my side).
- もらう — receiving: the subject is the person who receives.
A simple example set:
- 私は友達にプレゼントをあげました。 — I gave my friend a present.
- 友達が私にプレゼントをくれました。 — My friend gave me a present.
- 私は友達にプレゼントをもらいました。 — I received a present from my friend.
The last two describe the same event from different angles. In the second, the giver is the subject. In the third, the receiver is the subject.
あげる: giving outward
あげる is used when the giver is you or someone close to you, or when a third party gives to another third party.
- 母に花をあげました。 — I gave my mother flowers.
- 田中さんは犬にえさをあげました。 — Tanaka-san gave the dog some food.
The particle に marks the receiver. If you are unsure how に differs from other particles, our guide to に vs で is a good companion.
くれる: giving toward me
くれる always points toward the speaker or the speaker's in-group (family, close friends). The receiver is "me" and is often left out of the sentence because it is obvious.
- 先生が本をくれました。 — The teacher gave me a book.
- 姉が私に時計をくれました。 — My older sister gave me a watch.
A very common learner error is to use あげる when someone gives something to you. You cannot say 先生が私に本をあげました for "the teacher gave me a book" in natural Japanese. Use くれる.
もらう: receiving
もらう makes the receiver the subject, and the giver is marked with に (or から, especially when the giver is an organization).
- 私は先生に本をもらいました。 — I received a book from the teacher.
- 会社から手紙をもらいました。 — I received a letter from the company.
Because the subject changes, the sentence feels different, and it has a nuance of "I got it" rather than "someone was kind to me." For the subject-marking particles that sit around these verbs, see は vs が.
Quick comparison table
| Verb | Subject is… | Direction | Typical receiver marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| あげる | the giver | outward | に |
| くれる | the giver | toward the speaker | に (often omitted) |
| もらう | the receiver | toward the subject | に / から |
Adding favors with the て-form
Once you know the three verbs, you can attach them to the て-form of another verb to say that someone did something for someone. If you need a refresher on forming it, see Japanese て-form conjugation.
- 友達に日本語を教えてあげました。 — I taught my friend Japanese (as a favor).
- 友達が日本語を教えてくれました。 — My friend taught me Japanese (and I'm grateful).
- 友達に日本語を教えてもらいました。 — I had my friend teach me Japanese.
These patterns are everywhere in real Japanese, and they are a staple of N4 grammar.
A word of caution about てあげる
Saying 「手伝ってあげましょうか」 to someone can sound like you are doing them a favor from above. It is fine with friends or family, but with a boss or a customer it can sound presumptuous. A more neutral offer is 手伝いましょうか. This politeness difference is part of the larger system covered in keigo basics.
Polite and humble versions
Japanese has more formal verbs for the same ideas:
- さしあげる — humble form of あげる (giving to someone of higher status)
- くださる — respectful form of くれる (a superior gives to me)
- いただく — humble form of もらう (I receive from a superior)
Examples:
- 先生が本をくださいました。 — The teacher gave me a book. (respectful)
- 先生に本をいただきました。 — I received a book from the teacher. (humble)
You will meet いただく and くださる in N4 and N3 reading passages, and they matter a lot if you work in Japan.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using あげる when the receiver is "me." If someone gives something to you, use くれる (or もらう from your own point of view).
- Forgetting who the subject is with もらう. The receiver is the subject, so 「先生に」 marks the giver, not the receiver.
- Mixing up に and から. Both can mark the giver with もらう, but から is more natural for organizations and written sources.
- Overusing てあげる with superiors. Choose a plainer verb, or a humble form, when speaking to someone above you.
How to practice
A good habit is to take one event and describe it three ways. For example, take "Mika lent me a pen" and write:
- ミカさんがペンを貸してくれました。
- 私はミカさんにペンを貸してもらいました。
- If you lent her something: 私はミカさんにペンを貸してあげました。
Doing this a few times trains your instinct for direction. You can also keep a small list of your own mistakes using a mistake log, which makes patterns like "I keep using あげる instead of くれる" easy to spot.
Grammar items like these are tested in context, so practicing with explained questions helps. For a broader view of how every section fits together, read the JLPT preparation guide. For exam details such as dates, fees, and registration, always check the official site at https://www.jlpt.jp/e/.
Final thoughts
Once you remember that あげる goes out, くれる comes in, and もらう makes you the receiver, most sentences fall into place. Start with the three simple verbs, add the て-form favors, then move on to くださる and いただく when you are ready.
If you want to practice giving and receiving verbs with plain-language explanations for every answer, you can start free with N5 and build up from there. JLPT Ready is free to start with N5, and no card is required.