Japanese has two verbs for giving.
The choice between the pair depends on the direction of the transaction.
Imagine a set of concentric spheres of relative
psychological distances, with me at the center, you next to me, and all the
others on the edge.
When a thing moves away from the center, the transaction
is described in terms of the verb あげる - ageru.
| あげる - ageru ->
|
I give to you,
you give to others,
I give
to others,
somebody gives to somebody else |
|
くれる - kureru ->
|
Somebody gives me,
you give me,
somebody gives
you |
| |
|
| |
With both あげる and くれる, the giver is the subject of the sentence,
and is accompanied by the particle は or が.
|
| |
The recipient is accompanied by the
particle に. |
| |
|
| 私はその女の人に花をあげます。 |
I will give the woman flowers. |
|
watashi-wa sono onnanohito-ni hana-o agemasu. |
|
| その女の人は男の人に時計をあげました。 |
The woman gave the man a watch. *2 |
| sono onnanohito-wa otokonohito-ni tokei-o agemashita. |
|
両親が私に新しい車をくれる
かもしれません。 |
My parents may give me a new car
/it looks like/. |
|
ryooshin-ga watashi-ni atarashii kuruma-o
kureru
kamo shiremasen. |
|
| |
|
(Giver) は/が (Recipient) に
あげる
(Giver) は/が (Recipient) に
くれる |
- (giver) gives to (recipient) |
| |
|
| |
Transactions which are described with the
verb kureru can also be described in terms of
"receiving" or morau.
With morau, it is the recipient that is the subject
of the sentence, with ha [wa] or ga,
and the giver is accompanied by the particle
ni or kara. |
| 私は 姉に・姉から 古い辞書をもらいました。 |
I received an old dictionary from my big
sister. |
|
watashi-wa, ane-ni / ane-kara, furui jisho-o
moraimashita. |
|
| |
|
(Recipient) は/が (Giver) に もらう
(Recipient) は/が (Giver) から もらう
|
- (recipient)
receives from (giver) *3 |
| |
|
| |
Compare: |
| 姉が私に古い辞書をくれました。 |
My big sister gave me an old dictionary. |
| ane-ga, watashi-ni, furui jisho-o kuremashita. |
|
| |
|
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*2 When a transaction takes place between two
people other than yourself, as in this example, the verb to
use is normally ageru.
kureru is possible only in limited contexts in which
you think you yourself have benefited because somebody very
close to you has received something.
It should be relatively easy for you to identify yourself
with a member of your immediate family or a very good
friend, for example. |
|
大統領が妹に手紙をくれました。 |
The President gave my little sister a
letter. |
| daitooryoo-ga imooto-ni tegami-o kuremashita. |
|
|
（あなたは）私から手紙をもらいましたか。 |
*3 morau is like kureru and
implies that you identify yourself more closely with the
recipient than with the giver.
Thus it is wrong to use
morau if you receive
from me, for example.
(It is one indication that nobody can be detached from their
ego.) |
|
(anata-wa,) watashi-kara,
tegami-o moraimashita-ka? |
Did you receive a letter from me? |
| |
|
| 妹は大統領に手紙をもらいました。 |
You can use morau for third-party
transactions if you can assume the perspective of the
recipient. |
|
imooto-wa daitooryoo-ni tegami-o morai-mashita. |
My little sister received a letter from the
President. |
