くれる

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 兄が私におもちゃをくれた。▶ —
   My older brother gave me a toy.
2. 先生が手伝ってくれました。▶ —
   The teacher helped me (kindly).

Collocations

Mnemonic

くれる — くれる, Yamato. An ichidan verb. The inward partner of あげる. If あげる is 'giving outward', くれる is 'giving toward the speaker' ── one 'give' split by direction. The honorific is くださる kudasaru ── 先生がくださった (the teacher kindly gave). The auxiliary use ~てくれる is the key ── 兄が手伝ってくれた (my brother helped me, as a favor toward me). It maps exactly onto Korean '~hae jwotda' ── both mark 'a favor done for me'. Japanese does it by verb conjugation, Korean by an auxiliary verb. Two perspectives on one event ── 先生が私にくれた (the teacher's perspective) = 私は先生にもらった (my perspective). Which noun you make the subject reveals where the speaker stands. The give-receive triad (あげる・くれる・もらう) is a social grammar that keeps 'who gives to whom' always in mind.

Quick check

1. Honorific for "a teacher giving to the speaker"?

   • Kudasaru — superior gives to speaker
   • Itadaku — speaker humbly receives
   • Ageru — outward
   • Yaru — to plants / animals