Japanese Giving and Receiving Verbs: Complete Usage Guide on あげる, くれる, もらう
Last updated: January 19, 2026
While English lets you get away with just saying "I gave him a book" or "She gave me a gift" without much thought, Japanese? You need to pick the right verb based on the direction of the action and your relationship to the people involved. The three main verbs you'll encounter are ageru (あげる), kureru (くれる), and morau (もらう). I spent probably three months mixing these up constantly when I started learning Japanese. The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to translate them directly to English and started thinking about the direction of the action. Let me break down how these verbs actually work.
The basic three: Ageru, kureru, and morau
Ageru (あげる): Giving away from you
Ageru (あげる) means to give something, and you use it when the action moves away from you or your in-group. Think of it as the default "to give" verb when you're the giver or talking about someone giving to someone else.
The basic pattern looks like this: Giver + は + Receiver + に + Object + を + あげる
For example:
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I give a book to my friend. -
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Yamada gave money to the child.
The particle ni (に) marks who receives the thing, and wo (を) marks what's being given. Pretty straightforward so far.
You'll also see the polite form agemasu (あげます) used in normal conversation. The plain form ageru works fine with friends, but agemasu sounds more appropriate in most situations.
Kureru (くれる): Giving toward you
Kureru (くれる) also means to give, but you use it specifically when someone gives something to you or your in-group. The action moves toward you, which is why Japanese treats it as a different verb entirely.
The pattern changes slightly: Giver + が + Receiver + に + Object + を + くれる
Notice the particle ga (が) often appears with the giver instead of wa (は) when using kureru. Both work grammatically, but ga emphasizes who did the giving.
Examples:
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My friend gave me a book. -
。
I'm happy my mother gave me money.
The polite form kuremasu (くれます) works the same way as agemasu. You'll hear both forms constantly in daily conversation.
What makes kureru special is the implied gratitude. When you use kureru, you're acknowledging that someone did something for you. The verb carries this built-in appreciation that English just doesn't have.
Morau (もらう): Receiving from someone
Morau (もらう) means to receive, and you use it when you're the receiver talking about what you got from someone. This one shifts the perspective completely because the receiver becomes the subject of the sentence.
The pattern: Receiver + は + Giver + に/から + Object + を + もらう
You can use either ni (に) or kara (から) for the giver, though kara emphasizes the source more explicitly.
Examples:
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I received a book from my friend. -
。
The child received a present from the teacher.
The polite form is moraimasu (もらいます).
Both still mean the same thing, right? Well, yes and no. Kureru and morau both describe the same transaction where you receive something, but the nuance differs. Kureru emphasizes the giver's kindness, while morau focuses on what you obtained. You'd use kureru when you want to express gratitude, and morau when you're simply stating the fact of receiving something.
Extended forms of giving and receiving: Doing favors for others
Here's where these verbs get really useful. You can attach them to other verbs using the te-form to express doing actions for someone or having someone do actions for you. This is huge in Japanese because people talk about favors and help constantly.
Te-ageru (〜てあげる): Doing something for someone
When you do an action for someone else, you add te-ageru (〜てあげる) after the verb's te-form.
Examples:
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I read a book for my friend. -
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I'll make food for the child.
You're performing the action as a favor or help. The receiver benefits from what you do.
One warning: using te-ageru when talking about your own actions can sound a bit self-congratulatory, like you're bragging about how helpful you are. Japanese speakers use it carefully to avoid sounding arrogant.
Te-kureru (〜てくれる): Someone does something for you
When someone does an action for you or your in-group, you use te-kureru (〜てくれる).
Examples:
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My friend read a book for me. -
。
The teacher taught me.
This form expresses gratitude naturally. You're acknowledging that someone went out of their way to help you. Japanese people use te-kureru constantly because the culture emphasizes recognizing others' kindness.
Te-morau (〜てもらう): Having someone do something for you
When you receive the benefit of someone's action, you use te-morau (〜てもらう). This one's trickier because you become the subject even though someone else performs the action.
Examples:
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I had my friend read a book (for me). -
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I had the teacher teach me.
Te-morau implies you requested or arranged for the action to happen. You're the beneficiary, and you're stating that fact directly.
The difference between te-kureru and te-morau is subtle. Both describe receiving help, but te-kureru emphasizes the giver's kindness while te-morau emphasizes your receiving the benefit. In practice, te-kureru sounds more grateful and appreciative.
Politeness levels and formal alternatives
For ageru, the humble form is sashiageru (). You use this when giving something to someone of higher status, like your boss or a customer.
Example:
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I gave the report to the company president.
For kureru, the respectful form is kudasaru (). You use this when someone of higher status gives you something.
Example:
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。
The teacher gave me a book.
For morau, the humble form is itadaku (いただく). You use this when receiving something from someone of higher status.
Example:
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。
I received a book from the teacher.
These formal versions follow the same directional logic as the regular verbs. The only difference is the politeness level. In business settings or formal situations, you'll hear these versions constantly.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- The biggest mistake learners make is using ageru when they should use kureru. If someone gives something to you, you need kureru. Using ageru makes it sound like you're talking about yourself in third person, which sounds super weird.
- Another common error is forgetting the direction with te-form verbs. If someone helps you, use te-kureru, even if you're talking about what they did. Don't use te-ageru unless you're the one doing the helping.
- The particle confusion happens a lot too. Remember that ni marks the receiver with ageru and kureru, but marks the giver with morau. Get that backwards and the sentence falls apart.
Practical tips for mastering give and receive verbs
- Start by practicing with physical objects before moving to te-form constructions. Say out loud who's giving what to whom, and pick the right verb based on direction. Make it a habit to identify the giver and receiver in every sentence.
- When you're reading Japanese or watching shows, pay attention to which verb the characters use in different situations. You'll notice patterns, like how characters use te-kureru way more often than te-ageru because Japanese culture values expressing gratitude.
- Create example sentences for your own life. "My mom gave me money" becomes "Haha ga okane wo kureta." "I gave my friend a gift" becomes "Tomodachi ni purezento wo ageta." Making it personal helps the patterns stick.
- The particle practice matters too. Write out the full pattern with all particles included, even if Japanese speakers drop them in casual speech. Understanding the complete structure helps you recognize what's happening when particles disappear in real conversation.
- Don't stress about the formal versions until you've got the basic three verbs down solid. Sashiageru, kudasaru, and itadaku follow the same logic, so learning them later is easier once you understand the directional concept.
- If you want to practice these verbs with real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and grammar patterns instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can see how native speakers actually use ageru, kureru, and morau in context, which beats textbook examples any day. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.
FAQs
Why these verbs matter for real communication in Japanese language
Japanese speakers use these verbs constantly because the language builds social relationships into grammar. Every time you use kureru, you're acknowledging someone's kindness. Every time you use te-ageru carefully, you're being humble about your own helpfulness. The verbs carry social meaning that goes beyond just transferring objects, due to which they constantly appear in Japanese media as well. All the best for you to master them!
If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.
Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give!