How to Use V-てあげる and V-てもらう in Japanese | Giving and Receiving Actions

Introduction

In Japanese, expressing that you do something as a favor for someone, or that you receive a favor from someone, involves using the V-てあげる (te ageru) and V-てもらう (te morau) grammar patterns.

These structures combine a verb’s て-form with the verbs あげる (to give) and もらう (to receive) to describe the exchange of actions or help.

Let’s explore how to use these essential patterns to talk about favors and kindness in everyday conversation.

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern 1: V-て + あげる（do something for someone）

Used when the speaker (or someone close to them) does something for someone else.

[Giver] は / が [Receiver] に V-て + あげる

This pattern emphasizes the act of giving the favor or performing the action for the other person’s benefit.

Pattern 2: V-て + もらう（receive help from someone）

Used when the speaker receives a favor or action from someone else.

[Receiver] は / が [Giver] に V-て + もらう

This pattern shows appreciation for what someone has done for you, focusing on the act of receiving the favor.

2. Perspective Check: Who’s Doing What?

The choice between V-てあげる and V-てもらう depends on whose perspective the action is described from – specifically, the direction of the favor relative to the speaker or the speaker’s in-group.

3. Example Sentences

Yumi

外国人がいこくじんの友ともだちがいますか。
Do you have any foreign friends?

Ken

はい、アメリカ人じんの友ともだちがいます。
Yes, I have an American friend.

Ken

私わたしは彼かれに日本語にほんごを教おしえてあげます。その代かわりに、彼かれに英語えいごを教おしえてもらいます。
I teach him Japanese, and in return, he teaches me English.

Koki

昨日きのうは何なにをしましたか。
What did you do yesterday?

Saori

大学だいがくのときの友ともだちと飲のみにいきました。
I went out for drinks with a friend from college.

Saori

先輩せんぱいにお酒さけをおごってもらいました。
My senior treated me to some drinks.

Konishi

あの患者かんじゃさん、不安ふあんそうでしたね。
That patient looked anxious, didn’t they?

Michiko

はい。なので、症状しょうじょうを丁寧ていねいに説明せつめいしてあげました。
Yes, so I explained the symptoms to them carefully.

4. Practice Time!

Let’s practice using 〜てあげる or 〜てもらう by describing the following situations. Try to form the Japanese sentence based on the English prompt, then check the answer.

I do this for someone (〜てあげる):

1. Your friend is looking for a book. You found it for your friend.
   →本を探してあげました。(Hon o sagashite agemashita.) I found the book for my friend.
2. Your younger sister wants to learn piano. You will teach her.
   →妹にピアノを教えてあげます。(Imouto ni piano o oshiete agemasu.) I will teach my younger sister how to play the piano.
3. Your teacher was busy. You helped your teacher with their work.
   →先生の仕事を手伝ってあげました。(Sensei no shigoto o tetsudatte agemashita.) I helped my teacher with their work.

Someone does this for me (〜てもらう):

1. You didn’t understand the homework. Your friend explained it to you.
   →友だちに宿題を説明してもらいました。(Tomodachi ni shukudai o setsumei shite moraimashita.) My friend explained the homework to me.
2. You didn’t have money for lunch. Your friend paid for you.
   →友だちに昼ご飯をおごってもらいました。(Tomodachi ni hirugohan o ogotte moraimashita.) My friend paid for my lunch.
3. You needed to send a package. Your colleague helped you at the post office.
   →同僚に郵便局で荷物を送ってもらいました。(Douryou ni yuubinkyoku de nimotsu o okutte moraimashita.) My colleague sent a package for me at the post office.

📝 Try writing 3 original sentences:

• 2 using 〜てあげる
• 1 using 〜てもらう

5. Common Mistakes

Confusing あげる and くれる: A common mistake is using 〜てあげる when the action is done for you or someone in your group. Remember あげる is for giving outward.  

• ❌ Incorrect: 友だちが宿題を手伝ってあげました。(You can’t use あげる when the action is done for you.)  
• ✅ Correct: 友だちが宿題を手伝ってくれました。 / 友だちに宿題を手伝ってもらいました。

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Use 〜てあげる to describe what you do for others
✅ Use 〜てもらう when someone does something for you
✅ Choose the right perspective to express thanks, help, or kindness

🎯 Practice: What favor did you do for someone this week? What did someone do for you? Try writing it in Japanese using today’s grammar!