Overview of Receiving Verbs
Japanese has two main verbs for "receiving," chosen based on the giver's social status:
| Verb | Level | Used When |
|---|---|---|
| もらう | Neutral | Receiving from equals/juniors |
| いただく | Humble | Receiving from superiors |
友達にプレゼントをもらった
"I received a present from my friend"
先生に本をいただきました
"I received a book from my teacher"
もらう - Neutral Receiving
Basic Pattern
Receiver + は + Giver + に/から + Object + を + もらう
私は友達にプレゼントをもらった
"I received a present from my friend"
弟は姉にゲームをもらいました
"My younger brother received a game from our older sister"
彼女から手紙をもらった
"I received a letter from her"
When to Use もらう
1. Receiving from friends/equals
友達にCDをもらった
"I received a CD from my friend"
2. Receiving from juniors/younger people
後輩にお土産をもらった
"I received a souvenir from my junior"
3. Receiving from family (equals)
兄に時計をもらいました
"I received a watch from my older brother"
4. Third person receives from another
田中さんは山田さんに本をもらった
"Tanaka received a book from Yamada"
いただく - Humble Receiving
When to Use いただく
1. Receiving from superiors
先生にお土産をいただきました
"I received a souvenir from my teacher"
社長から手紙をいただいた
"I received a letter from the president"
2. Receiving from customers/clients
お客様からご意見をいただきました
"I received feedback from the customer"
3. Showing respect to the giver
おばあさんからプレゼントをいただいた
"I received a present from my grandmother"
4. Business/formal situations
会社から賞をいただきました
"I received an award from the company"
Particle Usage: に vs から
に - Emphasizes the giver (more common)
友達に本をもらった
"I received a book from my friend"
から - Emphasizes source/origin
友達から手紙をもらった
"I received a letter from my friend"
Both are correct! に is slightly more common in speech.
Common Patterns
Past Tense
もらった - received (neutral)
いただいた - received (humble)
Negative
もらわない - won't receive
いただかない - won't receive
Request Form
もらえますか？
"Can I receive/get (it)?"
いただけますか？
"May I receive (it)?" (polite)
Receiving Actions (〜てもらう)
Pattern: Verb-て + もらう/いただく
This means "have someone do something FOR you":
友達に手伝ってもらった
"I had my friend help me"
先生に教えていただきました
"I had my teacher teach me" (humble)
母に作ってもらった
"I had my mother make it for me"
Requesting Actions
手伝ってもらえますか？
"Can you help me?" (lit: Can I have you help me?)
説明していただけますか？
"Could you explain?" (polite)
Common Conversations
Example 1: Birthday Present
A: 誕生日に何をもらいましたか？
"What did you receive for your birthday?"
B: 友達に本をもらいました
"I received a book from my friend"
A: いいですね
"That's nice"
Example 2: From a Teacher
A: 先生に何をいただきましたか？
"What did you receive from your teacher?"
B: アドバイスをいただきました
"I received advice"
A: よかったですね
"That's good"
Example 3: Asking for Help
A: ちょっと手伝ってもらえる？
"Can you help me a bit?"
B: いいよ
"Sure"
A: ありがとう
"Thanks"
Comparing あげる and もらう
Same situation, different perspective:
Giving perspective (あげる):
私は友達にプレゼントをあげた
"I gave a present to my friend"
Receiving perspective (もらう):
友達は私にプレゼントをもらった
"My friend received a present from me"
Focus changes:
- あげる - Focus on the giver's action
- もらう - Focus on the receiver's benefit
Politeness Levels
Casual
もらう
もらった
Polite
もらいます
もらいました
Humble
いただく
いただきます
いただきました
Very Polite Request
いただけますでしょうか
"May I receive...?" (very polite)
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using もらう for superiors
Less polite: 先生に本をもらいました ⚠️
Better: 先生に本をいただきました ✓
"I received a book from my teacher"
Mistake 2: Wrong particle
Wrong: 友達をプレゼントをもらった ❌
Right: 友達にプレゼントをもらった ✓
"I received a present from my friend"
Mistake 3: Confusing giver and receiver
Wrong: 私は友達をプレゼントをもらった ❌
Right: 私は友達にプレゼントをもらった ✓
"I received a present from my friend"
Mistake 4: Using いただく casually
Too formal: 友達に本をいただいた ⚠️
Natural: 友達に本をもらった ✓
"I received a book from my friend"
Special Expressions
いただきます - Before eating
いただきます
"Thank you for the food" (lit: I humbly receive)
This comes from いただく!
〜てもらう vs 〜てもらえる
〜てもらう - Statement:
手伝ってもらった
"Someone helped me"
〜てもらえる - Request (potential form):
手伝ってもらえますか？
"Can you help me?"
教えてもらえる？
"Can you teach me?"
Comparison Chart
| Giver Status | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Equal/Friend | もらう | 友達にもらった |
| Junior/Younger | もらう | 後輩にもらった |
| Superior | いただく | 先生にいただいた |
| Customer/Client | いただく | お客様にいただいた |
Context Matters
Within Family
From younger siblings: もらう
From older siblings: もらう
From parents: もらう or いただく (very polite)
At Work
From colleagues (equal): もらう
From boss/seniors: いただく
From juniors: もらう
Formal Situations
Always use いただく when in doubt:
お時間をいただけますか？
"May I have your time?"
ご意見をいただければ幸いです
"I would be grateful to receive your opinion"
Passive-like Usage
もらう can express receiving unintended actions:
雨に降られた (NOT もらう usage)
"I got rained on"
But with positive actions:
褒めてもらった
"I was praised" (received praise)
Practice Sentences
Basic
友達にプレゼントをもらいました
"I received a present from my friend"
先生にアドバイスをいただいた
"I received advice from my teacher"
母から手紙をもらった
"I received a letter from my mother"
Intermediate
誕生日に両親からネックレスをもらいました
"I received a necklace from my parents for my birthday"
先生に推薦状を書いていただきました
"I had my teacher write a recommendation letter"
友達に駅まで送ってもらった
"I had my friend take me to the station"
Advanced
会社から昇進の知らせをいただき、とても嬉しいです
"I received news of my promotion from the company and I'm very happy"
お忙しい中、時間を割いていただきありがとうございます
"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule"
彼女から素敵なプレゼントをもらって、感動しました
"I received a wonderful present from her and was moved"
Related Grammar Points
- Giving: あげる/やる/さしあげる - Giving to others
- Favor: くれる/くださる - Others giving to you
- Direction of Actions - Perspective in giving/receiving
- 〜てもらう - Having someone do something
- Benefactive expressions - Doing favors
- Honorific language - Politeness levels