N4 · Unit 7
Lesson 28Describe giving, receiving, and helpful actions
Choose the correct viewpoint for giving, receiving, and benefiting from another person's action.
What you learn
Choose the correct viewpoint for giving, receiving, and benefiting from another person's action.
Learning points
- Giving and receiving
- Doing something for someone
- Receiving help
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
人に Nを あげます ・ 人に / から Nを もらいます ・ 人に 動詞て あげます / 人に 動詞て もらいます ・ 人が 動詞て くれますBeginner explanation
First identify three roles: the actor, the beneficiary, and the speaker. あげます points outward from the speaker's side. もらいます takes the receiver's viewpoint and says who receives from whom. くれます takes the speaker's viewpoint and says someone gives to the speaker's side. After a て-form, the direction stays the same but the gift becomes an action: doing for someone, receiving help, or someone acting for the speaker's side. Find the subject first, then choose the particles and form.
Understand these sentences first
- 私は 妹に 本を あげました。watashi wa imōto ni hon o agemashita
I gave my younger sister a book.
- 友達から 旅行の 写真を もらいました。tomodachi kara ryokō no shashin o moraimashita
I received travel photos from a friend.
- 私は 友達に 荷物を 運んで あげました。watashi wa tomodachi ni nimotsu o hakonde agemashita
I carried a bag for a friend.
- 駅員さんが 道を 教えて くれました。eki'in-san ga michi o oshiete kuremashita
A station attendant showed me the way.
Core vocabulary
- 手伝いますてつだいますhelp
- 運びますはこびますcarry
- 教えますおしえますtell; teach
- 案内しますあんないしますguide
- 駅員えきいんstation attendant
- 荷物にもつluggage
- 写真しゃしんphoto
- 道みちroad; way
Grammar, one point at a time
くれます means someone gives something to the speaker or the speaker's side
人が 私／私側に 物を くれますThe subject is the giver and に marks the receiver. 私に is often omitted. Who counts as the speaker's side depends on the conversational relationship, not a fixed family list.
Examples
- 友達が 地図を くれました。A friend gave me a map.
- 同僚が 妹に お土産を くれました。A colleague gave my sister a souvenir.
- その 本を くれますか。Will you give me that book?
Vてあげます means the speaker or the speaker's side does a beneficial action for someone else
人に Vて あげますThe beneficiary can take に but is often omitted. Saying てあげます directly to a superior or distant person may sound self-congratulatory; offer help with 〜ましょうか or お手伝いしましょうか instead.
Examples
- 友達の 荷物を 持ってあげました。I carried my friend's luggage for them.
- 先生、荷物を 持ちましょうか。Shall I carry your luggage?
- 子供に 本を 読んであげました。I read a book to a child.
Vてもらいます takes the receiver's viewpoint for requesting or receiving help
私は 人に Vて もらいますに marks the person performing the action, while the subject is normally the beneficiary. It can express an active request or simply receiving help; tense and request form determine politeness.
Examples
- 案内所の 人に 切符を 交換してもらいました。I had the information-desk staff exchange the ticket.
- 友達に 引っ越しを 手伝ってもらいます。I will have a friend help with the move.
- 少し 待ってもらいたいんですが。I would like you to wait a little.
Vてくれます takes the speaker's viewpoint when someone acts for the speaker's side
人が 私／私側に Vて くれますThe subject is the helper, and the beneficiary is often omitted. The form presents the action as helpful from the speaker's perspective; use a neutral verb if no benefit is intended.
Examples
- 係の 人が 財布を 拾ってくれました。A staff member picked up my wallet for me.
- 友達が 部屋を 探してくれています。A friend is looking for a room for me.
- 家族が 駅まで 送ってくれました。My family took me to the station.
Vてくれますか／くれませんか requests help from someone in a close or established relationship
Vて くれますか／くれませんかThe negative question is usually softer, but neither form suits every superior, customer, or stranger. More formal options include 〜ていただけますか and 〜ていただけませんか. State the task and leave room to decline.
Examples
- ごみを 出してくれますか。Will you take out the rubbish?
- この 書類を コピーしてくれませんか。Could you copy this document?
- もう 一度 説明していただけませんか。Could you explain once more?
The same help can be described with てもらう or てくれる, but subject and focus change
私はAにVてもらう ↔ Aが私にVてくれるてもらう highlights receiving help, while てくれる highlights the other person's helpful action. Do not map particles from word order alone; when converting, change the subject, actor, and particles together.
Examples
- 私は 友達に 駅まで 送ってもらいました。I had a friend take me to the station.
- 友達が 私を 駅まで 送ってくれました。My friend took me to the station.
- 私は 先生に 発音を 直してもらいました。I had the teacher correct my pronunciation.
Expressions and situations
Benefactive forms encode the speaker's evaluation; not every action is automatically a favour
てもらう can describe help received within someone's role, but てくれる may distort a complaint, accident, or coerced act. First decide whether the action is genuinely framed as beneficial.
- 係員に 手続きを 説明してもらいました。I had a staff member explain the procedure.
それに adds another point in the same direction
It adds another benefit, drawback, reason, or fact, like moreover. Use しかし or でも when the second point contrasts.
- 駅に 近いです。それに、家賃も 安いです。It is near the station, and the rent is low too.
Movement noun + 先 marks a destination, direction, or later affiliation
Common forms include 行き先, 旅行先, 出張先, 就職先, 引っ越し先, and 送り先. 先 is read さき and its meaning depends on the first element, not simply front.
- 引っ越し先が 決まりました。The moving destination has been decided.
- 送り先を 確認してください。Please confirm the delivery destination.
どの辺 asks for an approximate area; place + のあたり means around a named place
辺 normally combines with この, その, あの, or どの, so avoid 駅の辺. Answer with an area name or landmark. Contracts require an exact address.
- 引っ越し先は どの 辺ですか。What area are you moving to?
- 駅の あたりです。It is around the station.
どうしたんですか about an object can ask how it was obtained or what happened to it
Context determines whether it asks how did you get it, what did you do with it, or what happened. Answer with an action such as ネットで買った or 明日届けてもらう.
- その チケット、どうしたんですか。— 公式サイトで 買ったんです。How did you get that ticket? — I bought it on the official site.
- 家具は どうしたんですか。— 配送を 頼みました。What did you do about the furniture? — I arranged delivery.
Housing abbreviations help read layouts, but area, fees, and contract definitions still require confirmation
1K and 1LDK describe combinations of rooms and kitchen or living spaces; they do not state floor area, light, or quality. Check rent, deposit, key money, management fee, renewal fee, and move-out conditions individually in the contract.
- 1LDKでも、広さは 物件に よって 違います。Even among 1LDK units, floor area varies by property.
Before a move, read the estimate, terms, work scope, and conditions for extra charges
Packing, air-conditioner work, pianos or large items, floors and lifts, materials, insurance, cancellation, and damage handling can affect price. Japan's consumer centre advises resolving questions in advance and recording conditions before and after the move.
- 見積書に 追加料金が 書いてあるか 確かめます。I will check whether the estimate lists extra charges.
- 搬出前と 搬入後の 写真を 撮ります。I will photograph the condition before and after the move.
Moving inquiries may rise in March and April, but price and availability still vary by area, date, and company
This does not mean everyone moves in April or every company operates around the clock all year. Compare services early and confirm dates and written terms.
- 希望日に 予約できるかどうか、早めに 聞きます。I will ask early whether my preferred date is available.
どういたしまして is one response to thanks, not a mandatory reply every time
Depending on the relationship, alternatives include いえいえ, とんでもないです, こちらこそ, and お役に立ててよかったです.
- 手伝ってくれて、ありがとう。— どういたしまして。Thank you for helping. — You're welcome.
What you should be able to do
- Describe the same object transfer with あげる, もらう, and くれる, marking giver and receiver.
- Convert six helpful events between てもらう and てくれる while changing subject and particles.
- Choose different offers or requests for a friend, colleague, superior, customer, and stranger.
- Judge whether てあげる sounds self-congratulatory and rewrite unsuitable cases with ましょうか.
- Use 〜先, どの辺, Nのあたり, and an exact address to distinguish destination, approximate area, and contract address.
- Complete an original moving task: compare estimates, check terms and extras, record item condition, and arrange help.
Culture and real use
A full-service move is not automatically worry-free: estimates, scope, and records control risk
The textbook characterizes Japanese moves as concentrated in March and April, highly comprehensive, and mostly available around the clock year-round. These are not universal current facts. Japan's transport ministry publishes standard moving terms, while each contract still requires the carrier's adopted terms and estimate. Recent consumer-centre cases include damage or loss, incomplete cargo declarations in online estimates, extra charges for air-conditioner or high-access work, and return costs for boxes left before a contract. The centre advises reading documents, resolving questions in advance, and recording conditions before and after the move. The course retains terms such as 荷造り, 搬出, 搬入, 追加料金, and 補償, while actual price, hours, accepted items, and cancellation rules require item-by-item confirmation.
- 見積書と 約款を 読んでから 契約します。I will contract after reading the estimate and terms.
- 追加作業の 料金を 説明してもらいます。I will have them explain the cost of extra work.
- 家具の 状態を 写真に 残しておきます。I will keep photographs of the furniture's condition.