Giving and receiving: あげる・もらう・くれる
A は B に N を あげます／もらいます・B が わたしに N を くれます
A は B に N を あげます (A gives to B); A は B に N を もらいます (A receives from B); B が わたしに N を くれます (B gives me).
In short
あげる: I (or someone) give to someone else. もらう: to receive from someone (the giver takes に or から). くれる: someone gives to me, or to my family. Point of view matters: you never say “ともだちが わたしに あげました”, but くれました.
- わたしは ともだちに 本を あげました。watashi wa tomodachi ni hon o agemashitaI gave my friend a book.
- わたしは 母に とけいを もらいました。watashi wa haha ni tokei o moraimashitaI got a watch from my mother.
- ともだちが わたしに はなを くれました。tomodachi ga watashi ni hana o kuremashitaMy friend gave me flowers.
Three verbs, three points of view
Japanese has three ways of talking about a gift, depending on who gives and who receives. あげます: to give (from me to others, or between others). もらいます: to receive. くれます: to give to me (or to my inner circle). English uses “give” for both あげます and くれます; Japanese always keeps them apart.
| Verb | Meaning | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| あげます | to give | me → others, or others → others |
| もらいます | to receive | I receive (from に or から) |
| くれます | to give to me | others → me / my family |
あげます: to give
The giver takes は, the receiver takes に, the object を.
- わたしは ともだちに 花を あげました。watashi wa tomodachi ni hana o agemashitaI gave a friend some flowers.
もらいます: to receive
The receiver takes は, the giver takes に (or から).
- わたしは 母に セーターを もらいました。watashi wa haha ni sētā o moraimashitaI got a jumper from my mother.
くれます: someone gives to me
When someone gives me something, you don't use あげます but くれます. The giver takes が (or は), and わたしに is often left unsaid.
So the same scene can be said in two ways: 母が わたしに セーターを くれました (my mother gave me a jumper) = わたしは 母に セーターを もらいました (I got a jumper from my mother).
- ともだちが（わたしに）本を くれました。tomodachi ga (watashi ni) hon o kuremashitaA friend gave me a book.
Common mistakes
- Saying ともだちが わたしに あげました: towards me, it's くれました.
- Swapping the particles with もらいます: the giver takes に, not the receiver.
- Using あげます when the recipient is a superior: it's a bit offhand; use さしあげます (covered at N4).
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Sōbu Line (Giving and receiving) of the Tokyo subway.