上げる・くれる – Ageru and Kureru: Giving in Japanese
Ageru and kureru both mean to give. The only difference is which word you choose depends on who is the giver and who is the receiver. When you are talking about yourself personally it is easy. If you are the giver you will always say ageru. If you are the receiver you will always say kureru. If you are not part of the transaction though, there are a few simple rules to know. I will explain them below.
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The choice between Ageru and Kureru depends on In-Group and Out-Group
Someone who is part of your in-group is called “Uchi” (内). Someone who is part of and out-group is referred to as “Soto” (外). Your in-group members are people close to you, and out-group is everyone else.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/Depending on who you are with, some people will be in-group members in one situation and out-group in the other. This is a discussion for another time though. For now, anyone who is a friend or family member is part of your in-group and anyone who is not is part of your out-group.
For Givers from your In-group, use Ageru
Anyone that is from your in-group giving someone something will use ageru. So, If your younger brother gives a bus-driver an apple you would say “弟がバス運転手にリンゴをあげた“.
If the Giver is not in your In-group, use Kureru
If someone in your out-group gives and in-group member something then you would say kureru. So, if the bus driver gave your younger brother an apple you would say “バス運転手が弟にリンゴをくれた“.
Use Ageru for Two Out-group Members
When talking about two people that are not part of your group use ageru. If you have two random people, Taro and Hanako, you would say “太郎が花子に梨をあげた” (Taro gave Hanako a pear). When the situation is reversed you would still use ageru. So, if Hanako gave Taro the pear it would be “花子が太郎に梨をあげた“
You can also use Morau for all Situations
Morau means “receive” and can be used in place of ageru and kureru. Take the following examples:
バス運転手が弟にリンゴをもらった。
“The bus driver received an apple from my younger brother.”
弟がバス運転手にリンゴをもらった。
“My younger brother received an apple from the bus driver.”
太郎が花子に梨をもらった。
“Taro received a pear from Hanako.”
花子が太郎に梨をもらった。
“Hanako received a pear from Taro.”
Also as a side note, you can also use から instead of に. So, you could have also said, 花子が太郎から梨をもらった. If you are interested in learning more Japanese Grammer check out some of my other posts here.
Vocabulary
上げる (ageru) – to give
くれる (ageru) – to give
貰う (morau) – to receive
弟 (otouto) – younger brother
バス運転手 (basu untenshu) – bus driver
リンゴ (ringo) – apple
内 (uchi) – inside, interior
外 (soto) – outside, exterior
太郎 (Taro) – male name
花子 (Hanako) – female name
梨 (nashi) – pear
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