Japanese verbs: giving and raising with あげる

The idea

あげる is an ichidan verb. In giving, the subject is the giver; に marks the recipient and を the thing. It describes giving away from the speaker or between third parties. 上あげる can also mean raise, as in raising a hand. For raising, 上あげる is transitive; 上あがる is the intransitive “rise”.

Examples

• ユイさんは猫ねこに水みずをあげます。Yui gives the cat water.
• 私わたしは友達ともだちに本ほんをあげます。I give a book to a friend.
• 兄あには妹いもうとに花はなをあげました。My older brother gave my younger sister flowers.
• 今日きょうは友達ともだちにお菓子かしをあげません。I will not give my friend sweets today.
• 友達ともだちに写真しゃしんをあげて、帰かえります。I will give the photo to a friend and go home.
• 手てを上あげてください。Please raise your hand.

Watch out

When someone gives to you or someone in your in-group, use くれる rather than あげる. Giving to a superior calls for care: あげる can sound presumptuous; honorific 差さし上あげる may be appropriate.

Try it yourself

1. Write the polite non-past form: ＿。（あげる→ます）

   Show answer or example answer

   あげます

   あげます is the polite non-past of あげる; context tells whether it refers to the present or future.

2. Write the て form: ＿。（あげる→て）

   Show answer or example answer

   あげて

   あげて is the て form of あげる. It can connect this action to another clause.

3. Choose the option in brackets to complete the sentence: 私わたしは友達ともだちに本ほんを＿。（あげました／くれました）

   Show answer or example answer

   あげました

   あげました fits: the speaker gives the book to a friend, away from the speaker.

Use it today

Make a sentence with あげる, change it to the polite past and check its particles against the examples.