Giving and Receiving
In English, 'give' and 'receive' are simple. In Japanese, the verb changes depending on WHO is giving to WHOM, and whether the action moves toward or away from the speaker.
The Direction of the Action
To choose the right verb, imagine yourself in the center of a circle. Everything moving OUTWARD (from you to others) uses one verb. Everything moving INWARD (from others to you) uses another.
ใใใ (Ageru): I give to someone. (Moving OUTWARD).
ใใใ (Kureru): Someone gives to ME. (Moving INWARD).
ใใใ (Morau): I receive from someone. (Focuses on the receiver's perspective).
The JLPT tests this almost entirely through the particle attached to the other person, not through translation. 'X ใฏ ็งใซ ใใใใพใใ' must take ใใใ because the action is moving toward ใใใ. '็งใฏ X ใซ ใใใใใพใใ' takes ใใใ because ใใใ is the subject doing the receiving. At N4/N3, the honorific and humble versions appear too: ใใใใใ (humble ใใใ), ใใ ใใ (respectful ใใใ), ใใใ ใ (humble ใใใ).
How to use them
Combining with the Te-Form (Doing favors)
Teacher's Advice
Be very careful when using '~te ageru' (doing a favor for someone). Saying 'ๆไผใฃใฆใใใ' (I will help you) can sound incredibly arrogant, like 'I am gracing you with my help.' To offer help politely, just use the normal verb: 'ๆไผใใพใใใใ' (Shall I help?).
Related Grammar
Master the Directions
Practice identifying who is the giver and who is the receiver in our interactive scenarios.