Lesson 56: おじいさんから 小包を もらった！

N4 · Lesson 56 · 18 min — Pick the verb by where the thing goes: I give, someone gives me, I receive. Then learn the polite forms for people above you.

English says "give" no matter who gives to whom. Japanese first asks: which way does the thing move? Away from me, or toward me? The verb changes with the direction. In this lesson, Rin hands out pineapple cakes, and you get the directions straight.

After this lesson, you can:

• Use あげる and もらう to say "I give ~ to someone" and "I receive ~ from someone": くまたさんに おかしを あげました。
• Use くれる to say "someone gives ~ to me": おじいさんが 地図ちずを くれました。(Grandpa gave me a map.)
• Switch to the polite forms さしあげる・くださる・いただく when you talk about teachers or shop managers. Use やる for flowers and animals.

Pineapple Cake, Half Map

Last lesson, Grandpa let "はな" slip. In November, Rin brings pineapple cakes from Taiwan to くまや. (どうぞ = please take it; パイナップルケーキ = pineapple cake; 小包こづつみ = package; 半分はんぶん = half; 店長てんちょう = manager, here Mr. Kuma)

あげる = I give out. くれる = someone gives me. もらう = I receive. Grandpa's map is only half drawn. Next lesson, Kumata helps Rin read it!

Words in this lesson: give, receive, gifts

• あげる (ageru): to give (me → someone), to give as a gift
• くれる (kureru): (someone) gives me
• もらう (morau): to receive, to get
• さしあげる (sashiageru): (polite) to give (to a superior)
• くださる (kudasaru): (polite) (a superior) gives me
• いただく (itadaku): (polite) to receive (from a superior)
• やる (yaru): to give (to flowers, animals)
• どうぞ (dōzo): please (take it), go ahead
• 店長てんちょう (tenchō): shop manager
• プレゼント (purezento): present, gift
• パイナップルケーキ (painappuru kēki): pineapple cake
• おかし (okashi): sweets, snacks
• チケット (chiketto): ticket, coupon
• 小包こづつみ (kozutsumi): package, small parcel
• 半分はんぶん (hanbun): half
• 箱はこ (hako): box
• 誕生日たんじょうび (tanjōbi): birthday
• 水みずを やる (mizu o yaru): to water (plants)

Grammar 1 / 3: あげる・もらう

Use あげる when I give something out. Use もらう when I receive something. In the most common sentences, the subject (は) is "me".

• あげる: the は person → the に person: Aは Bに Nを あげる = A gives N to B. The most common case is "I give to someone": わたしは くまたさんに おかしを あげました。You can also use あげる when one other person gives to another (Rin gives to Kumata).
• もらう: the subject is the receiver: Aは Bに（から）Nを もらう = A receives N from B. For the giver, either に or から works: おじいさんに／おじいさんから 小包こづつみを もらいました。For things that are sent or come from far away, から sounds more natural.
• One event, two ways to say it: リンさんは くまたさんに おかしを あげました (from the giver's side) = くまたさんは リンさんに おかしを もらいました (from the receiver's side). Whoever is the subject decides whether you use あげる or もらう.
• They conjugate like regular verbs: あげる is Group Ⅱ: あげます・あげた・あげない・あげて. もらう is Group Ⅰ: もらいます・もらった・もらわない・もらって.

• 誕生日たんじょうびに 友ともだちに プレゼントを あげました。 — On his birthday, I gave my friend a present.
• これ、くまたさんに あげる。 — I'm giving this to Kumata. (casual)
• 友ともだちに 本ほんを もらいました。 — I got a book from my friend.
• おじいさんから 手紙てがみを もらいました。 — I received a letter from Grandpa.
• リンさんは くまたさんに 本ほんを あげました。 — Rin gave Kumata a book.

Grammar 2 / 3: くれる

Use くれる when someone gives something to "me" (or to someone on my side). The thing comes toward me!

• くれる = someone gives "me": Aは（が）わたしに Nを くれる = A gives me N. The thing moves toward "me": おじいさんが 地図ちずを くれました。(Grandpa gave me a map.)
• わたしに is often left out: くれる already means "gives to me", so わたしに is usually dropped. Say it only to stress "it was for ME". Also, when you ask "Who gave it to you?", the listener counts as "my side", so you still use くれる: だれが くれましたか。
• People on my side count too: My family is also "my side": くまたさんが わたしの おじいさんに おかしを くれました。(Kumata gave my grandpa a snack.) From my point of view, the gift came into my family.
• One event, two viewpoints: Kumata gave me a snack: くまたさんが おかしを くれました (from Kumata's side, coming toward me) = わたしは くまたさんに おかしを もらいました (from my side, I received). To ask a close friend for something, say: わたしにも くれますか。(Can I have one too?)

• 友ともだちが プレゼントを くれました。 — My friend gave me a present.
• おじいさんが 地図ちずを くれた。 — Grandpa gave me a map. (casual)
• この 本ほんは くまたさんが くれました。 — Kumata gave me this book.
• だれが その チケットを くれましたか。 — Who gave you that ticket? (When asking, the listener counts as the receiver.)
• わたしにも ひとつ くれますか。 — Can I have one too? (to a close friend)

Grammar 3 / 3: Polite・やる

For teachers, managers and other people "above" you, switch to the polite さしあげる・くださる・いただく. Use やる for flowers and animals.

• Same direction, more polite: 先生せんせいが くれました→先生せんせいが くださいました。先生せんせいに もらいました→先生せんせいに いただきました。先生せんせいに あげました→先生せんせいに さしあげました。The particles stay the same. Use the polite forms for teachers and managers. For friends and classmates (like Kumata), plain くれる・もらう・あげる is fine.
• The ます-form of くださる: くださる is special: its ます-form is くださいます, くださいました (not くださります). いただく is Group Ⅰ (いただきます・いただきました). さしあげる is Group Ⅱ (さしあげます).
• No polite forms for your own family: When you tell a teacher about your own grandpa, use plain くれる: わたしの おじいさんが 地図ちずを くれました。In front of outsiders, your family counts as "my side", so you don't raise them up. In formal speech you would say 祖父そふ for your own grandfather (you'll learn it later). With a close teacher, わたしの おじいさん is also common. The key point is to use くれる, not くださる.
• さしあげる is for reporting; やる is for flowers and animals: さしあげる is for telling others "I gave ~ to a superior". When you hand something to a superior face to face, don't say さしあげます. Don't say あげます either (it sounds like "I'm doing you a favor"). Just say どうぞ (please take it), like Rin did when he handed over the pineapple cakes in the comic. For flowers, plants and animals, use やる: 花はなに 水みずを やります。(I water the flowers.) Never use it for a superior! These days many people say あげる for flowers and pets too, which sounds gentler.

• 店長てんちょうが ラーメンを くださいました。 — The manager treated me to ramen. (The manager gave me ramen.)
• 先生せんせいに 本ほんを いただきました。 — I received a book from my teacher.
• 店長てんちょうに 台湾たいわんの おかしを さしあげました。 — I gave the manager some Taiwanese snacks.
• これは 店長てんちょうが くださった チケットです。 — This is a ticket the manager gave me.
• 毎日まいにち 花はなに 水みずを やります。 — I water the flowers every day.