How to tell them apart
The core contrast is who is the subject of the action and whose perspective the sentence takes. With あげる the doer is the subject and the receiver is outside the speaker's in-group, as in 僕は春子さんを慰めてあげた. With くれる the doer is someone else and the receiver is the speaker or someone the speaker empathizes with, as in ウォーカーさんは私の息子に英語を教えて呉れている. With もらう the receiver is the subject and the doer is marked by に, as in 木村さんは大野さんに車を貸してもらった. Swapping them changes whose viewpoint the sentence takes and can sound unnatural, especially if you use あげる toward someone of higher status or くれる when the receiver is not on the speaker's side.
- あげる Use あげる when you or someone in your group does a favor for an outsider of roughly equal status.
- 呉れる・くれる Use くれる when someone outside your group does a favor for you or someone you empathize with.
- もらう Use もらう when you or someone you empathize with receives a favor and want to focus on that benefit.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| あげる ageru | Perform an action for another person's benefit | N4 |
| 呉れる・くれる reru kureru | performs an action for the speaker's benefit | N4 |
| もらう morau | receive something from someone; have someone do something for you | N4 |
あげる ageru
Perform an action for another person's benefit
あげる attaches to a verb in te-form (話してあげる) or stands alone as the verb あげる meaning to give something to someone. It expresses doing something for another person's benefit, with the recipient marked by に. It is used in both casual and polite speech.
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私は家族に食べ物や洋服を用意してあげることができる。
I am able to provide food and clothes for my family.
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私たちは父にバースデイプレゼントをあげるつもりです。
We will give Father a birthday present.
呉れる・くれる reru kureru
performs an action for the speaker's benefit
くれる expresses that someone does an action for the speaker's benefit, often translated as doing something for me. It follows the te-form of a verb, as in 作ってくれる or 読んでくれる, and the doer is typically marked with が. The examples use it in both plain and polite contexts.
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母が私にバースデーケーキを作ってくれるだろう。
My mother will make me a birthday cake.
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母は私の望むものは何でも言わなくてもかなえてくれる。
My mother anticipates all my desires.
もらう morau
receive something from someone; have someone do something for you
もらう expresses receiving an action or thing from someone. With a te-form verb plus もらう, it means having someone do something for you, with the doer marked by に. It also follows a noun to mean receiving or getting that thing, as in catching a disease.
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明日は、７時にモーニングコールをかけてもらうことにしよう。
Let's arrange for a 7:00 a.m. wake-up call.
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人間が、動物から病気をもらうことは、まれではあるがありうる。
It's possible, though rare, for humans to catch diseases from animals.
あげる and 呉れる・くれる and もらう are both JLPT N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares all 3 side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.