Japanese verbs: receiving with もらう

The idea

もらう is a godan verb: the recipient is the subject, the giver takes に or から and the thing takes を. A verb’s て form plus もらう presents an action as a favour received, often at the recipient’s request.

Examples

• エミさんは名前なまえを書かいてカードをもらいます。Emi writes her name and receives a card.
• 私わたしは友達ともだちから本ほんをもらいました。I received a book from a friend.
• 妹いもうとは兄あにに花はなをもらいました。My younger sister received flowers from my older brother.
• 明日あした、母ははに写真しゃしんをもらいます。Tomorrow I will receive a photo from my mother.
• 今日きょうはお金かねをもらいません。I will not receive any money today.
• 友達ともだちに手伝てつだってもらいました。I received help from a friend.

Watch out

Unlike くれる, もらう takes the recipient as its subject. Its て form is もらって, not もらいて. For a gift from a superior, the humble いただく may be appropriate.

Try it yourself

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

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   もらいます

   もらいます is the polite non-past of もらう; context tells whether it refers to the present or future.

2. Write the て form: ＿。（もらう→て）

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   もらって

   もらって is the て form of もらう. 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から本ほんを＿。（もらいました／くれました）

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   もらいました

   もらいました fits: the speaker is the recipient and から marks the friend as giver.

Use it today

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