Hello! I'm Keigo. Just imagine this. You're at a birthday party. A friend gives you a present. You want to say it in Japanese.
But... which verb do you use? "Ageru"? "Morau"? "Kureru"? All three can talk about presents. But their usage is different.
"Maria-san gave me a present (Maria-san wa boku ni purezento wo agemashita)." ...That's strange, isn't it? Maria-san gave me a present, but I used "agemashita".
Today, you'll understand why that's wrong. The keyword is "the direction of the arrow". If you remember these arrows, you'll master all three. Let's go. Look. Arrow pointing "outward" -> Ageru Arrow pointing "towards yourself" -> Kureru
Perspective of "receiving" it yourself -> Morau Today, we'll practice all three of these. Just a moment. Before "ageru," "morau," and "kureru," just 30 seconds.
In Japanese, "who to whom" is very important. If you forget this, your sentences will sound strange. If you remember this, you'll understand everything. Are you ready?
First one. First, "ageru." Ageru = From yourself, outward. You are the subject, and you give something to someone. Let's check the particles. "Ni" is the recipient.
"Wo" is the item being given. Example 1: I gave chocolate to Maria-san. (Boku wa Maria-san ni chokoreeto wo agemashita.) Me -> Maria-san. It's an outward-pointing arrow.
This is "ageru." Example 2: Taro-kun gave flowers to his mother. (Taro-kun wa okaasan ni hana wo agemashita.) Taro-kun -> Mother. Outward-pointing arrow. "Ageru." "Sensei, Taro-kun isn't me, right?"
That's right. Good question. "Ageru" isn't just for me. If the subject is "moving outward," anyone can use it. Taro-kun is the subject. He is moving outward.
So, "ageru." Example 3: I gave a birthday card to my friend. (Tomodachi ni tanjoubi kaado wo agemashita.) Saying "I" (boku wa) is optional. It can be omitted. I'm going to say something important.
"Ageru" is only used when the subject is "the person moving outward." When the arrow is "coming towards you," you cannot use "ageru." For example. Maria-san gave me a present. (Maria-san wa boku ni purezento wo kuremashita.) In this case, you should not use "ageru." Why?
Because the arrow is pointing "towards me." I'll talk about this in the third one. First, let's go to the second one. Next is "morau." Morau = The receiver's perspective.
When you receive something, you use "morau." Both "ni" and "kara" can be used. When receiving from a person -> ni (or "kara" is also acceptable) When receiving from an organization/place -> kara (more natural) Example 1: I received a present from Kenji-san. (Boku wa Kenji-san ni purezento wo moraimashita.)
Kenji-san -> Me. I am receiving. "Morau." Example 2: Lucas-san received pocket money from his father. (Lucas-san wa otousan kara okodzukai wo moraimashita.) Using "kara." Lucas-san received it from his father.
Example 3: I received an award from the company. (Kaisha kara shou wo moraimashita.) The company is an organization. So, "kara." Same situation. But there are two ways to say it.
Maria-san gave me chocolate. (Maria-san wa boku ni chokoreeto wo agemashita.) -> I received chocolate from Maria-san. (Boku wa Maria-san ni chokoreeto wo moraimashita.) It's the same situation.
Maria-san is the subject -> ageru I am the subject -> morau The verb changes depending on who is speaking. By the way. "Maria-san gave me chocolate." (Maria-san wa boku ni chokoreeto wo agemashita.) Grammatically it's okay, but it sounds unnatural.
When you receive something, a different verb is more natural in Japanese. That is... the third arrow. ...In English, "give" and "receive" are separate. It's the same in Japanese.
But in Japanese, "who is the subject" is even more important. This is "the direction of the arrow." The last arrow. And this is the most important one. Kureru = An arrow from someone else to you.
It's similar to "ageru." But it's completely different. Look at the hook sentence again. Maria-san gave me a present. (Maria-san wa boku ni purezento wo agemashita.) Why is this strange?
"Ageru" means "an outward-pointing arrow." But in this sentence, Maria-san is giving me a present. The arrow is pointing towards me. Therefore, you cannot use "ageru." If you use "ageru,"
it feels as if the speaker became Maria-san. It sounds very unnatural to Japanese speakers. Look at the correct sentence. Maria-san gave me a present. (Maria-san wa boku ni purezento wo kuremashita.) It's natural. It's perfect.
Key point: Person A gives [something] to [family] / [me]. The subject is the other person (Person A). The recipient is "me or someone on my side." What does "someone on my side" mean?
Me, my family... people close to me. Today, please remember it as "me" and "family." Example 1: Maria-san gave me a book. (Maria-san wa boku ni hon wo kuremashita.) Maria-san -> Me.
Arrow towards myself. "Kureru." Example 2: My grandma gave me a sweater. (Obaachan wa boku ni seetaa wo kuremashita.) Grandma -> Me. "Kureru." Example 3: My friend gave my younger sister some sweets. (Tomodachi ga boku no imouto ni okashi wo kuremashita.) "My younger sister" is my family.
She's "on my side," right? So, "kureru" can be used. Summary. The difference between "ageru" and "kureru" once again. Ageru. "Ageru" is when you are the one taking action.
Kureru. "Kureru" is when the other person takes action, and it's directed towards you. One more thing. Let's also confirm the difference between "morau" and "kureru." My friend gave me a book. (Tomodachi wa boku ni hon wo kuremashita.) Friend is the subject.
I received a book from my friend. (Boku wa tomodachi ni hon wo moraimashita.) I am the subject. Same situation. But the subjects are different. "Kureru": Other person is the subject -> I receive.
"Morau": I am the subject -> I receive. The meaning is the same. The only difference is whose perspective you're speaking from. Today's three arrows, once more.
Ageru. Ageru: Me -> You (from me, outward) Morau: Me <- You (receiver is the subject) Kureru. Kureru: -> Me (arrow towards me - special) In one line:
"The verb is determined by the direction of the arrow." Let's practice. Problem 1: "I __ flowers to Tanaka-san." (Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana wo __) (Me -> Tanaka-san) ...The answer is?
Agemashita. (Gave) Problem 2: "Tanaka-san __ flowers to me." (Tanaka-san wa boku ni hana wo __) (Tanaka-san -> Me) ...The answer is? Kuremashita. (Gave) Problem 3: "I __ flowers from Tanaka-san." (Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana wo __)
(Received, I am the subject) ...The answer is? Moraimashita. (Received) Problem 1: "I gave flowers to Tanaka-san." (Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana wo agemashita.) Problem 2: "Tanaka-san gave flowers to me." (Tanaka-san wa boku ni hana wo kuremashita.) Problem 3: "I received flowers from Tanaka-san." (Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana wo moraimashita.)
Next... we'll add the "te-form" to "kureru." Not just "kuremashita" (gave a book), but you'll also be able to say "yonde kuremashita" (read a book for me). Today we studied Level 1.
Level 2 will be another day. Please look forward to it. For those who want to speak more Japanese. You can have one-on-one lessons with me via Preply, linked in the description.
There are also trial lessons. Please like and subscribe to the channel! See you in the next video. Well then, ¡Chao chao!