〜てあげる: To Give (an Action) in Japanese
When learning Japanese, you will often encounter the phrase 〜てあげる (te ageru), which means “to give (an action).” This phrase is used when the speaker or someone performs a beneficial action for another person. The nuance of 〜てあげる is that the action is done out of kindness or generosity.
How to Use 〜てあげる
The structure is simple:
[Person] は [Recipient] に [Action in 〜て-form] + あげる
Example:
- わたしは ともだち に 本を 貸してあげました。
(Watashi wa tomodachi ni hon o kashite agemashita.)
→ I lent a book to my friend (as a favor).
Different Forms of 〜てあげる
The verb あげる can be conjugated into different forms to match the politeness level:
| Form | Usage |
|---|---|
| 〜てあげる | Casual/plain form |
| 〜てあげます | Polite form |
| 〜てあげて | Te-form for requests |
| 〜てあげない | Negative form (not doing the action) |
| 〜てあげなかった | Past negative form |
Situations Where 〜てあげる Is Used
1. Doing Something Nice for Someone Else
- わたしは ちょうとせんせい に にもつを 持ってあげました。
(Watashi wa chouto sensei ni nimotsu o motte agemashita.)
→ I carried the teacher’s luggage for them.
2. Helping Someone
- おとうさんは ぼくに 自転車の修理を してあげた。
(Otousan wa boku ni jitensha no shuuri o shite ageta.)
→ Dad fixed my bicycle for me.
3. Giving Advice or Instruction
- わたしは ともだち に 日本語 を 教えてあげる。
(Watashi wa tomodachi ni nihongo o oshiete ageru.)
→ I will teach my friend Japanese.
4. Buying Something for Someone
- おかあさんは いもうと に 花を 買ってあげました。
(Okaasan wa imouto ni hana o katte agemashita.)
→ Mom bought flowers for my little sister.
5. Making a Favorable Gesture
- 私は 友達 に コーヒーを 作ってあげました。
(Watashi wa tomodachi ni koohii o tsukutte agemashita.)
→ I made coffee for my friend.
6. Expressing Kindness in a Relationship
- けんたろうは かのじょに マッサージを かいてあげた。
(Kentaro wa kanojo ni massaaji o kaite ageta.)
→ Kentaro gave his girlfriend a massage.
7. Helping Children or Animals
- おねえさんは 犬 に 食べ物 を あげてあげた。
(Oneesan wa inu ni tabemono o agete ageta.)
→ The older sister gave food to the dog.
Things to Remember About 〜てあげる
- Used when the action is beneficial: You should only use 〜てあげる when the action is helpful or kind.
- Do not use for superiors: Avoid using 〜てあげる when speaking about actions for a superior (e.g., boss, teacher) as it may sound rude. Instead, use 〜てさしあげる.
- Casual tone: This phrase is often used in informal or everyday conversations rather than in formal writing.
Summary Table: When to Use 〜てあげる
| Situation | Example |
| Helping a friend | はさみを 買ってあげた。 (Bought scissors for them.) |
| Teaching someone | えいご を 教えてあげる。 (Teach English to them.) |
| Doing a favor | 部屋を 掃除してあげる。 (Clean the room for them.) |
| Helping animals | 犬 に 飯 を あげてあげる。 (Give food to a dog.) |
By mastering 〜てあげる, you can express kindness and generosity in Japanese naturally! Practice using it in real conversations to make your speech sound more fluent and native-like.
Do you have any questions about 〜てあげる? Let me know in the comments!
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Vikas Kumar is a multilingual educator, language specialist, and book author, and the founder of My Language Classes, an independent language learning platform dedicated to structured, clarity-driven language education.
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