Japanese verbs: receiving a gift with くれる

The idea

くれる is an ichidan verb: the giver is the subject, the thing takes を and the recipient is the speaker or someone in the speaker’s in-group. に can mark that recipient. A verb’s て form plus くれる presents an action as a favour to us.

Examples

• 手伝てつだってくれて、ありがとうございます。Thank you for helping me.
• 友達ともだちが私わたしに本ほんをくれました。A friend gave me a book.
• 兄あにが花はなをくれます。My older brother gives me flowers.
• 友達ともだちが妹いもうとにお菓子かしをくれました。A friend gave my younger sister some sweets.
• 父ちちはその本ほんをくれませんでした。My father did not give me that book.
• 田中たなかさんが道みちを教おしえてくれました。Tanaka kindly told me the way.

Watch out

Do not use くれる when you are the giver: use あげる. With a superior, the respectful form くださる may be more appropriate; choose it according to the situation.

Try it yourself

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

   Show answer or example answer

   くれます

   くれます is the polite non-past of くれる; context tells whether it refers to the present or future.

2. Write the て form: ＿。（くれる→て）

   Show answer or example answer

   くれて

   くれて is the て form of くれる. It can connect this action to another clause.

3. Choose the option in brackets to complete the sentence: 友達ともだちが私わたしに花はなを＿。（あげました／くれました）

   Show answer or example answer

   くれました

   くれました fits: the friend is the giver and the speaker receives the flowers.

Use it today

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