Ageru, Morau, and Kureru in Japanese

Introduction

Imagine you're at a birthday party. A friend gives you a present. You want to say it in Japanese. But... which verb do you use? "Ageru"? "Morau"? "Kureru"?

All three can talk about giving and receiving. But their usage is different.

"Naomi-san wa boku ni purezento o agemashita." — That sounds strange, right? Naomi gave you a present, but you used "agemashita." Today, you'll understand why that's wrong.

The keyword is "the direction of the arrow." If you remember these arrows, you'll master all three verbs.

Ageru: From You, Outward

Example sentences

Ageru: giving

4 seconds

The example sentences, recorded one by one.

Read the transcript

私わたしはナオミさんに本ほんをあげました。
I gave Naomi a book.

Audio from the video

Listen to the direction of あげる

46 seconds

A clip from a short YouTube video, explanation included.

Read the transcript

You gave someone a gift.

You want to say it in Japanese.

You reach for あげます.

Good instinct.

But do you know when あげます breaks?

あげます = outward arrow.

From you.

To someone else.

僕はマリアさんに花をあげました。

*I gave Maria some flowers.*

Me → Maria.

Arrow points outward.

That's あげます.

One verb. One direction.

Outward only.

When someone gives something TO you?

That is not あげます.

That's a different verb.

This is verb 1 of 3.

I break down all 3 in the long video — link in bio.

Want to practice with a Japanese teacher?

Book a trial lesson on Preply — same link.

See you next time, chao chao!

The Arrow Direction

Ageru = Me → Someone else (outward-pointing arrow)

You are the subject, and you give something to someone.

The Particles

「に」(ni) = the person you give to (recipient)
「を」(wo) = the thing being given (object)

Examples

Boku wa Naomi-san ni chokorēto o agemashita. (I gave chocolate to Naomi.) Me → Naomi. Outward-pointing arrow.

Tarō-kun wa okāsan ni hana o agemashita. (Tarō gave flowers to his mother.) Tarō → Mother. Outward-pointing arrow.

Tomodachi ni tanjōbi kādo o agemashita. (I gave a birthday card to my friend.) Saying "boku wa" (I) is optional — it can be omitted.

Important Rule

"Ageru" is only used when the subject is moving outward
The subject doesn't have to be "me" — anyone can use it, as long as the arrow points outward
When the arrow comes towards you, you cannot use "ageru"

Morau: The Receiver's Perspective

Example sentences

Morau: receiving

4 seconds

The example sentences, recorded one by one.

Read the transcript

私わたしはナオミさんに本ほんをもらいました。
I received a book from Naomi.

Audio from the video

Listen to the receiver's perspective with もらう

50 seconds

A clip from a short YouTube video, explanation included.

Read the transcript

Same gift. Two different Japanese verbs.

Here's why.

Short 1: あげます. The arrow pointing outward.

Now: もらいます.

Same scene.

But you're the one receiving.

僕はケンジさんにプレゼントをもらいました。

*I received a present from Kenji.*

Same present. Different subject.

When Kenji is the subject, あげます can work.

When I am the subject, I use もらいます.

Note: saying "Kenji gave me" with あげます can work.

But when you're the receiver, Japanese has a more natural verb for that.

That's verb 3.

This is verb 2 of 3.

Full lesson with all 3 verbs in the long video — link in bio.

Or book a trial lesson with me on Preply — same link.

See you next time, chao chao!

The Arrow Direction

Morau = Someone else → Me (I am the one receiving)

When you receive something, you use "morau."

Particles: "ni" and "kara"

From a person → 「に」(ni) (or "kara" is also acceptable)
From an organization/place → 「から」(kara) (more natural)

Examples

Boku wa Kaito-san ni purezento o moraimashita. (I received a present from Kaito.) Kaito → Me. I am receiving.

Rūkasu-san wa otōsan kara okodzukai o moraimashita. (Lucas received pocket money from his father.) Using "kara" for the giver.

Kaisha kara shō o moraimashita. (I received an award from the company.) The company is an organization → "kara."

Ageru vs Morau: Same Situation, Different Perspective

Naomi-san wa boku ni chokorēto o agemashita. (Naomi is the subject → ageru) Boku wa Naomi-san ni chokorēto o moraimashita. (I am the subject → morau)

Same situation. The verb changes depending on who is speaking.

Kureru: From Someone Else, Towards You (The Most Important One!)

Example sentences

Kureru: someone gives to you

4 seconds

The example sentences, recorded one by one.

Read the transcript

ナオミさんが私わたしに本ほんをくれました。
Naomi gave me a book.

Audio from the video

Listen to the direction of くれる

44 seconds

A clip from a short YouTube video, explanation included.

Read the transcript

You just used あげます.

And the Japanese sounds really wrong.

Here's the problem.

Maria gave you a book.

How do you say that?

❌ マリアさんは僕に本をあげました。

Wrong.

あげます is the outward arrow — from you.

But here, the arrow is pointing toward you.

✅ マリアさんは僕に本をくれました。

*Maria gave me a book.*

くれます — the arrow that always points at you.

All three verbs:

あげます → from you outward.

もらいます → you receive.

くれます → comes toward you.

Full lesson in the long video — link in bio.

Book a trial lesson with me on Preply — same link.

See you next time, chao chao!

The Arrow Direction

Kureru = Someone else → Me (arrow towards me — special)

It looks similar to "ageru," but it's completely different.

Why "Ageru" Is Wrong

Look at the opening sentence again:

✗ Naomi-san wa boku ni purezento o agemashita.

"Ageru" means an outward-pointing arrow. But in this sentence, Naomi is giving something to me — the arrow points towards me. If you use "ageru," it feels as if the speaker became Naomi. It sounds very unnatural to Japanese speakers.

The correct sentence:

✓ Naomi-san wa boku ni purezento o kuremashita. (Naomi gave me a present.)

What Does "My Side" (Jibun-gawa) Mean?

The recipient of "kureru" is "me or someone on my side":

My side = me, my family... people close to me

Examples

Naomi-san wa boku ni hon o kuremashita. (Naomi gave me a book.) Naomi → Me. Arrow towards me. "Kureru."

Obā-chan wa boku ni sētā o kuremashita. (My grandma gave me a sweater.) Grandma → Me. "Kureru."

Tomodachi ga boku no imōto ni okashi o kuremashita. (My friend gave my younger sister some sweets.) "My younger sister" is my family = "my side" → "Kureru."

Comparing the Three Arrows

Verb	Arrow Direction	Subject	When to Use
Ageru	Me → Other	The person giving	When someone gives something outward
Morau	Other → Me	The person receiving	When you receive something
Kureru	Other → Me	The person giving	When someone gives to me/my family

In one line: "The verb is determined by the direction of the arrow."

Morau vs Kureru

Tomodachi wa boku ni hon o kuremashita. (Friend is the subject) Boku wa tomodachi ni hon o moraimashita. (I am the subject)

The meaning is the same. The only difference is whose perspective you're speaking from.

Quiz 1 Practice Exercises

Think of your answer before opening the solution.

Problem 1

"Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana o __." (Me → Tanaka-san)

Problem 2

"Tanaka-san wa boku ni hana o __." (Tanaka-san → Me)

Problem 3

"Boku wa Tanaka-san ni hana o __." (I received, I am the subject)

💡 Show Answer

Agemashita (outward-pointing arrow)
Kuremashita (arrow towards me)
Moraimashita (the receiver is the subject)

Try more questions →

▶️ Short videos for this article:

💡 Tip: These shorts explain each verb quickly. But to fully understand the arrow directions (ageru, morau, kureru), I recommend watching the full lesson in Japanese. Turn on English subtitles and everything will click:

▶️ Watch the full lesson (with subtitles)

🎓 Want to Practice More?

On YouTube, you learn the grammar rules. But with Preply, we practice real conversations. I'll show you how to use ageru, morau, and kureru in authentic contexts.

And if you haven't already, hit that subscribe button! New lessons drop every week.

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube