N5 · Unit 2
Lesson 8Tools, methods, and languages
State the tool, means, or language used for an action and express giving or receiving.
What you learn
State the tool, means, or language used for an action and express giving or receiving.
Learning points
- Tools, methods, and languages
- Giving and receiving
- Already completed
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
道具 / 言語 で 動詞ます ・ 人 に 物 を あげます / もらいます ・ もう 動詞ましたBeginner explanation
Mark a tool, method, or language with で. Use 人に 物を あげます for giving something to someone and 人に 物を もらいます for receiving something from someone. もう〜ました means the action is already complete.
Understand these sentences first
- 日本語で メールを 書きます。Nihongo de mēru o kakimasu
I write an email in Japanese.
- はしで ご飯を 食べます。hashi de gohan o tabemasu
I eat rice with chopsticks.
- 友達に お土産を あげます。tomodachi ni omiyage o agemasu
I give a souvenir to a friend.
- もう 友達に 地図を もらいました。mō tomodachi ni chizu o moraimashita
I already received a map from a friend.
Core vocabulary
- 書きますかきますwrite
- 送りますおくりますsend
- あげますあげますgive
- もらいますもらいますreceive
- メールメールemail
- 箸はしchopsticks
- お土産おみやげsouvenir
- 地図ちずmap
Grammar, one point at a time
Use で for a tool, language, method, or material
means／material で Vで marks not only transport and action location but also the language, tool, delivery method, or material used to complete an action. Ask with what or by what means before choosing で.
Examples
- 日本語で 手紙を 書きます。I write a letter in Japanese.
- 新聞紙で 紙飛行機を 作ります。I make a paper plane from newspaper.
あげます views an item moving from giver to recipient
giver は recipient に object を あげますMark the giver with は, recipient with に, and item with を. At beginner level, do not assume あげます is suitable for every gift to a senior or respected person; honorific giving is learned later.
Examples
- わたしは ミナさんに お土産を あげます。I give Mina a souvenir.
- 母は 友達に 花を あげました。My mother gave flowers to a friend.
もらいます views an item received from the giver
recipient は giver に／から object を もらいますMark the recipient with は, giver with に or から, and item with を. から is common when the source is an organization such as a company or school.
Examples
- わたしは ミナさんに 辞書を もらいました。I received a dictionary from Mina.
- 父は 会社から 記念品を もらいました。My father received a commemorative gift from his company.
Mark the person met with に
person に 会いますThe person met takes に. The meeting place still takes で and a specific time takes に, so one sentence can contain several particles with different roles.
Examples
- 明日 友達に 会います。I will meet a friend tomorrow.
- 駅で ミナさんに 会いました。I met Mina at the station.
Final よ delivers new information or a reminder
sentence + よUse よ when the listener probably does not know the information or needs attention. It can inform, remind, or lightly warn; overuse can sound forceful.
Examples
- もう 帰りましたよ。They have already gone home.
- 太りますよ。You will gain weight.
もう marks an action as already completed
もう Vましたもう with a past affirmative means already done. The negative not yet normally uses まだ Vていません, which is learned later.
Examples
- もう 昼ご飯を 食べました。I have already eaten lunch.
- もう ファックスを 送りましたよ。I have already sent the fax.
Expressions and situations
People can take に or から; organizations normally take から
For receiving from a person, both に and から are possible. For a company, school, or other organization rather than a specific person, から is normal.
Use どうぞ when offering an item
Directly saying あげます can sound like announcing a one-sided favor. When offering something, これ、どうぞ or どうですか is often more natural.
さっき and たった今 require a past form
たった今 is closer to the present than さっき. Both refer to completed past events and therefore require a past form.
- たった今 帰りました。They just left.
Receiving and sending use different collocations
Use 電話／ファックス／メール／手紙をもらいます for receiving. For sending, use 電話をかけます, ファックス／メールを送ります, and 手紙を出します.
N の件 means regarding the matter of N
N の件 introduces a matter in work email, fax, or formal conversation. Casual conversation does not need 件 for every topic.
N + お願いします makes a specific request
For a phone transfer, say 田中さんを お願いします; when handing over a document, これ、お願いします is possible. The requested action must be clear from context.
分かりました can accept a request
Besides understanding an explanation, 分かりました can mean okay, I will do it. For complex or high-stakes work, repeat the key requirement rather than hiding uncertainty behind one phrase.
AもBも means both A and B
Attach も to each listed item to say that both satisfy the following statement, as in ファックスもメールも届きました.
前に can mean previously
前に can mark not only spatial front but also an unspecified past time, meaning previously. In this temporal use, に can be omitted.
What you should be able to do
- Choose で for the tool, language, material, or method.
- Rebuild giving events from giver and recipient viewpoints.
- Distinguish に or から for a person from から for an organization.
- Use に会います for the person met and add time and place.
- Choose the correct past expression with もう, さっき, and たった今.
- Complete an original workplace dialogue about a missing schedule and resending it by fax or email.
Culture and real use
Flower delivery requires checking date, area, flowers, and message-card conditions
Flower-gift sites commonly let customers choose an available delivery date and may offer message cards. Delivery area, earliest date, flowers, and card rules vary by product. Before ordering, verify the address, date, sender name, character limits, and any options that cannot be specified.
- この 花を 8月20日に 送って ください。Please deliver these flowers on August 20.
- メッセージカードを お願いします。A message card, please.