Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| くれる | kureru | [kɯ̟ɾe̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| あげる | ageru | [a̠ɡe̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| 下さる | kudasaru | [kɯ̟da̠sa̠ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | honorific |
| 差し上げる | sashiageru | [sa̠ɕia̠ɡe̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) | humble |
The Japanese verbs for 'give' are used to describe the transfer of possession of something to someone else.
Which one should you use?
Use あげる when the subject is the speaker or someone else giving to a third party. Use くれる when someone else is giving something to the speaker or the speaker's in-group. When a person of higher status gives something to the speaker, use the honorific form 下さる. To show respect to a receiver of higher status when you are the one giving, use the humble form 差し上げる.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
下さる is an honorific form. 差し上げる is a humble form used to express respect to the receiver of the gift.
How does it change in a sentence?
The te-form of a verb combined with くれる indicates that someone performed an action as a favor for the speaker.
How do you pronounce it?
kureru
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use あげる when they should use くれる because they do not account for the direction of the favor relative to the speaker.
Did you know?
- The honorific verb 下さる originally meant 'to lower something'. It evolved to mean 'give' because a person of higher status is seen as lowering a gift down to someone of lower status.
Examples in context
- 乗せてくれる？Can you give me a ride?This sentence shows how to use くれる to ask for a favor like a ride.Tatoeba #10496106 by small_snow, translation #533068 by darinmex
- 説明してくれる？Can you give me an explanation?This sentence illustrates using くれる to ask for an explanation.Tatoeba #4216062 by bunbuku, translation #3152577 by CK
- 誰に本をあげるの？Who will you give the book to?This sentence shows the use of あげる when asking who the recipient of a book is.Tatoeba #1047288 by bunbuku, translation #1047290 by CK
- おばあさんに花を あげました 。(I gave flowers to the old lady.)
- 友達に本を くれた 。(My friend gave me a book.)
- お母さんがおやつを くれます 。(Mom will give me a snack.)
- 彼は私にアドバイスを くれました 。(He gave me advice.)
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota is asking Misaki for a favor at home.
- 陽太 Yotaお菓子をくれる？Okashi o kureru?Can you give me some snacks?
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ。どの種類がいい？Ii yo. Dono shurui ga ii?Sure. Which kind do you want?
- 陽太 Yotaあのおチョコをくれる？Ano choko o kureru?Can you give me those chocolates?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、どうぞ。Hai, douzo.Here you go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “give” translations and entries くれる, あげる, 下さる, 差し上げる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries あげる, 下さる, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
