あげる - Grammar Discussion

Grammar Points
#1

to give (away), to present, to provide

Structure

  • Giverは・が + Recipientに + Nounを あげる
  • Recipientに + Giverは・が + Nounを あげる
  • Giverは・が + Nounを + Recipientに あげる

View on Bunpro

:warning: For both あげる and くれる, に marks the recipient.
Cannot be used when something is given to someone of higher status than the speaker.

[あげる describes something being given to someone outside your inner circle]
[あげる → To give away from the speaker・くれる → To give towards the speaker]

[Only used if the result is desirable・If the context is understood, both the giver and the receiver can be omitted]

#2

彼は果物が好きだから、お土産 に 果物をあげる
Since he likes fruit, I will give him fruit as a present.

What is the particle に expressing here?

#3

In the ageru lesson, in the Examples tab, the second sentence is
私（わたし）は弟（おとうと）に飲（の）み物（もの）を あげた 。
I gave my little brother a drink.
But in the Meaning tab, it is stated that “[あげる describes something being given to someone outside your inner circle]”.
It seems to me there is a contradiction, since my little brother certainly belongs my inner circle.
Is the example inappropriate, or is the statement false, or what did I understand wrongly ?

#4

I didn’t get this either when I first started studying Japanese, then I watched this YouTube video (attached at the bottom of this post) and it suddenly became so simple for me.

So basically in Japanese culture there are 3 circles:
The first one is just you, so if you give anything to anyone outside of that circle (anyone except yourself) then you should use あげる.
The second one if your close friends, close family, etc.
The third is basically anyone else. Acquaintances, strangers, etc.

So if someone in your 2nd circle gives something to someone in your 3rd circle, that is also あげる, but if someone in your 3rd circle gives something to someone in your 2nd or 1st circle (you), it’s くれる.

Anyway, here’s the video, which can explain much better than I can:

6 Likes
てくれる - Grammar Discussion
くれる - Grammar Discussion
#5

@matt_in_mito Awesome explanation and link! I have added this video to the Readings sections of あげる, くれる, もらう. Cheers!

3 Likes
#6

Thanks for the link, it is a useful video, it makes things more clearer.
Now I understand what confused me. In “[あげる describes something being given to someone outside your inner circle]” the term “inner circle” is not defined. I didn’t know I could be my own inner circle, I thought the inner circle was me + family + friends, that’s why.
A short sentence cannot convey enough information, a video or a drawing is a big help.

1 Like
#7

Glad it helped. As I say, I got so confused with this when I first started and this video just made it so simple for me. This guy does other videos too, which are also really clear and east to understand, but this one probably helped me the most.

1 Like