Giving and Receiving
In English, 'give' and 'receive' are simple. In Japanese, the verb changes depending on WHO is giving to WHOM, and whether the action moves toward or away from the speaker.
The Direction of the Action
To choose the right verb, imagine yourself in the center of a circle. Everything moving OUTWARD (from you to others) uses one verb. Everything moving INWARD (from others to you) uses another.
あげる (Ageru): I give to someone. (Moving OUTWARD).
くれる (Kureru): Someone gives to ME. (Moving INWARD).
もらう (Morau): I receive from someone. (Focuses on the receiver's perspective).
The JLPT tests this almost entirely through the particle attached to the other person, not through translation. 'X は 私に 〜くれました' must take くれる because the action is moving toward わたし. '私は X に 〜もらいました' takes もらう because わたし is the subject doing the receiving. At N4/N3, the honorific and humble versions appear too: さしあげる (humble あげる), くださる (respectful くれる), いただく (humble もらう).
How to use them
Combining with the Te-Form (Doing favors)
Teacher's Advice
Be very careful when using '~te ageru' (doing a favor for someone). Saying '手伝ってあげる' (I will help you) can sound incredibly arrogant, like 'I am gracing you with my help.' To offer help politely, just use the normal verb: '手伝いましょうか' (Shall I help?).
Related Grammar
Master the Directions
Practice identifying who is the giver and who is the receiver in our interactive scenarios.