Could someone please explain the exact difference between ageru, kureru and morau...

[fixelbrumpf]

..to me? I missed class when we discussed it in detail, and I'm still a bit confused, to say the least. The only thing that seems clear to me is that "morau" is used when someone else gives something to someone else, or am I mistaken? Thanks a lot in advance.

[David Hallgren]

Well, I'll try to give you some information, I'm not that sure on this subject yet though.

あげる andくれる are the verbs used for giving something. They depend on the "mental" distance between those giving and receiving. Let me give some examples

あげる
I give to you
I give to others
You give to others
Somebody gives to somebody else
(giver)は/が(reciver)に あげる
Ex:
私はその女の人に花をあげました。


くれる
Somebody gives me
You give me
Somebody gives you
(giver)は/が(reciver)に くれる
その女の人は私に花をくれました。

もらう on the other hand is used when the subject of the sentence is receiving. Such as
私はその女の人に花をもらいました。
That is the structure is
(recipient)は/が(giver)に/から もらう

Hope that helps a little and that someone else will fill in the details.

(I use the textbook Genki II btw.)

[PaulTB]

あげる andくれる are the verbs used for giving something. They depend on the "mental" distance between those giving and receiving. Let me give some examples

あげる
I give to you
I give to others
You give to others
Somebody gives to somebody else
(giver)は/が(reciver)に あげる
Ex:
私はその女の人に花をあげました。

[ingroup] gives to [outgroup]. Note that あげる 'giving upwards implies respect to the person given to and so is not appropriate where the person given to is 'closer' to you than the person giving.

e.g. これは課長が弟にあげた物です。<- ダメ！

But you really need a good grammar book for this ...

[mdchachi]

morau is fairly neutral and can be used in most any case to say "receive". However to politely say that you received something, you should use "itadaku".

[Elizabeth]

I usually use uketoru when receiving something like an email, although morau might be more polite -- I'm not really sure. Morau is also used for wanting someone to do something for you (moraitai) or when the recipient has fulfilled something that was requested of them.

[guldo]

e.g. これは課長が弟にあげた物です。<- ダメ！

So, unless I be mistaken, it should be
これは課長が弟にくださった物です。
Right? 'Cause this:
これは課長が弟にくれた物です。
would be a little less honorific. Am I right?

[Elizabeth]

So, unless I be mistaken, it should be
これは課長が弟にくださった物です。
Right? 'Cause this:
これは課長が弟にくれた物です。
would be a little less honorific. Am I right?

Isn't kudasaru more common when the speaker is a recipiant from a higher status giver than between third parties, although there doesn't seem to be any reason it couldn't be. Or perhaps "yaru" in this case of kachou.

Kureru for sure is less formal, used casually in everyday conversation among friends and equals.

英語で書いてくれますか？意味がわかりません。

[Glenn]

So, unless I be mistaken, it should be
これは課長が弟にくださった物です。
Right? 'Cause this:
これは課長が弟にくれた物です。
would be a little less honorific. Am I right?

That sounds right to me. Reason being is that otouto is in your "in-group," so you use kureru, and kachou is of a higher status, so you would use kudasaru.

[fixelbrumpf]

Thanks a lot, guys, I think I finally got it.

By the way, Glenn, when I sneeze it frequently sounds like "isha". Does that mean I should see a doctor?

[Glenn]

By the way, Glenn, when I sneeze it frequently sounds like "isha". Does that mean I should see a doctor?

Are you making a dajare? If not, I'm not sure what you mean.

[fixelbrumpf]

Sorry, I thought my joke was clear enough.

[Glenn]

Oh, alright. Sorry, I had completely forgotten about my signature. Lol.