Giving and Receiving of "Actions" in Japanese

～てあげる ～てもらう ～てくれる Part 2 - The actual meaning of a sentence with or without ～てあげる / ～てもらう / ～てくれ
る is the same, except that the former show that the Action Receiver is grateful for
what the Action Taker has done for him/her.

Another point to note is that for ～てあげる and ～てくれる sentences, the focus is
on the Action Taker. Whereas for ～てもらう sentence, the focus is on the Action
Receiver.

for ～てあげる and ～てくれる sentences, the person who receives the assistance
can be marked by particle に, の or を, all depending on the verbs used. This is the
most difficult part when using these sentence patterns as many of you always get
confused about which particle to use.

in ～てもらう sentence, the action taker is always marked by the particle に.

20 Verbs with Example Sentences

1. Person に Noun を 見せる

見せる (miseru) means to show.
When using this verb, the format is always
"Person に Noun を 見せる". For example,
友達は私に写真を見せてもらいます。 X
tomodachi wa watashi ni shashin wo misete moraimasu X
In the above example, the Giver is 私 (the speaker), the Receiver is 友達. Since the
Giver is 私, you cannot use the ～てもらう sentence.
私は友達に写真を見せます。
watashi wa tomodachi ni shashin wo misemasu
Meaning: I show the photos to my friend.
⬇
私は友達に写真を見せてあげます。
watashi wa tomodachi ni shashin wo misete agemasu
Meaning: I show the photos to my friend.

2. Person に Noun を 教える

教える (oshieru) means to teach, to inform, to tell. Similar to the previous example the format is "Person に Noun を 教える".

先生は私達に日本語を教えてくれました。 Giver is 先生. Receiver is 私達.

sensei wa watashitachi ni nihongo wo oshiete kuremashita
Meaning: Teacher taught us Japanese.

私達は先生に日本語を教えてもらいました。
watashitachi wa sensei ni nihongo wo oshiete moraimashita
Meaning: Teacher taught us Japanese.

3. Person に Noun を 貸す
貸す (kasu) means to lend.
Format is "Person に Noun を 貸す".

兄は弟にお金を貸してあげました。 Giver is 兄. Receiver is 弟.

ani wa otouto ni okane wo kashite agemashita
Meaning: My elder brother lent money to my younger brother.

弟は兄にお金を貸してもらいました。
otouto wa ani ni okane wo kashite moraimashita
Meaning: My elder brother lent money to my younger brother.

4. Person に 席 を 譲る
譲る (yuzuru) means to hand over, to transfer, to relinquish, to give up.
Format is "Person に Noun を 譲る".

田中さんはお婆さんに席を譲ってあげました。 Giver is 田中さん. Receiver is お婆さん.

tanaka san wa obaasan ni seki wo yuzutte agemashita
Meaning: Mr Tanaka gave up his seat to the old lady.

お婆さんは田中さんに席を譲ってもらいました。
obaasan wa tanaka san ni seki wo yuzutte moraimashita
Meaning: Mr Tanaka gave up his seat to the old lady.

5. Person に Noun を 作る
作る tsukuru) means to make, to create.
Format is "Person に Noun を 作る".

母は私にご飯を作ってくれました。 Giver is 母. Receiver is 私.

haha wa watashi ni gohan wo tsukutte kuremashita
Meaning: My mother made a meal for me.

私は母にご飯を作ってもらいました。
watashi wa haha ni gohan wo tsukutte moraimashita
Meaning: My mother made a meal for me.

7. Person を 迎える
迎える (mukaeru) means to welcome, to greet, to meet, to pick up.
Format is "Person を 迎える".

家族は私 を車で迎えてくれました。 Giver is 家族. Receiver is 私.

kazoku wa watashi wo kuruma de mukaete kuremashita
Meaning: My family picked me up by car.

私は家族に車で迎えてもらいました。
watashi wa kazoku ni kuruma de mukaete moraimashita
Meaning: My family picked me up by car.

8. Person を 送る
送る (okuru) means to send (a thing), to take (a person somewhere), to see off (a person).
Format is "Person を 送る".

兄は私を駅まで送ってくれました。 Giver is 兄. Receiver is 私.

ani wa watashi wo eki made okutte kuremashita
Meaning: My elder brother took me to the train station.

私は兄に駅まで送ってもらいました。
watashi wa ani ni eki made okutte moraimashita
Meaning: My elder brother took me to the train station.

9. Person を 待つ
待つ (matsu) means to wait.
Format is "Person を 待つ".

水野さんは田中さんを待ってあげました。 Giver is 水野さん. Receiver is 田中さん.

mizuno san wa tanaka san wo matte agemashita
Meaning: Mr Mizuno waited for Mr Tanaka.

田中さんは水野さんに待ってもらいました。
tanaka san wa mizuno san ni matte moraimashita
Meaning: Mr Mizuno waited for Mr Tanaka.

10. Person を Noun に 誘う

誘う (sasou) means to invite, to ask.
Format is "Person を Noun に 誘う".

山田さんは私をダンスに誘ってくれました。 Giver is 山田さん. Receiver is 私.

yamada san wa watashi wo dansu ni sasotte kuremashita
Meaning: Mr Yamada invited me for a dance.

私は山田さんにダンスに誘ってもらいました。
watashi wa yamada san ni dansu ni sasotte moraimashita
Meaning: Mr Yamada invited me for a dance.

11. Person を Noun に 招待する

招待する (shoutai suru) means to invite, to entertain.
Format is "Person を Noun に 招待する".

友達は弟を結婚式に招待してくれました。 Giver is 友達. Receiver is 弟.

tomodachi wa otouto wo kekkonshiki ni shoutaishite kuremashita
Meaning: My friend invited my younger brother to the wedding ceremony.

弟は友達に結婚式に招待してもらいました。
otouto wa tomodachi ni kekkonshiki ni shoutaishite moraimashita
Meaning: My friend invited my younger brother to the wedding ceremony.

12. Person を Place へ 連れて行く

連れて行く (tsurete iku) means to take someone (of lower status) along.
Format is "Person を Noun へ 連れて行く ".

父は妹をデパートへ連れて行ってあげました。 Giver is 父. Receiver is 妹.

chichi wa imouto wo depa-to e tsureteitte agemashita
Meaning: My father took my younger sister to the department store.

妹は父にデパートへ連れて行ってもらいました。
imouto wa chichi ni depa-to e tsureteitte moraimashita
Meaning: My father took my younger sister to the department store.

13. Person の Noun を 掃除する

掃除する (souji suru) means to clean, to sweep.
Format is "Person の Noun を 掃除する".

母は妹の部屋を掃除してあげました。 Giver is 母. Receiver is 妹.

haha wa imouto no heya wo soujishite agemashita
Meaning: My mother cleaned my younger sister's room.

妹は母に部屋を掃除してもらいました。
imouto wa haha ni heya wo soujishite moraimashita
Meaning: My mother cleaned my younger sister's room.

14. Person の Noun を 洗濯する

洗濯する (sentaku suru) means to wash, to clean (laundry).
Format is "Person の Noun を 洗濯する".

姉は私のシャツを洗濯してくれました。 Giver is 姉. Receiver is 私.

ane wa watashi no shatsu wo sentakushite kuremashita
Meaning: My elder sister washed the shirt for me.

私は姉にシャツを洗濯してもらいました。
watashi wa ane ni shatsu wo sentakushite moraimashita
Meaning: My elder sister washed the shirt for me.

15. Person の Noun を 撮る

撮る (toru) means to take (a photo).
Format is "Person の Noun を 撮る".

木村さんは田中さんの写真を撮ってあげました。 Giver is 木村さん. Receiver is 田中さん.

kimura san wa tanaka san no shashin wo totte agemashita
Meaning: Mr Kimura took a picture for Mr Tanaka.

田中さんは木村さんに写真を撮ってもらいました。
tanaka san wa kimura san ni shashin wo totte moraimashita
Meaning: Mr Kimura took a picture for Mr Tanaka.

16. Person の Noun を 直す

直す (naosu) means to fix, to correct, to repair.
Format is "Person の Noun を 直す".

父は山田さんの自転車を直してあげました。 Giver is 父. Receiver is 山田さん.

chichi wa yamada san no jitensha wo naoshite agemashita
Meaning: My father repaired the bicycle for Mr Tanaka.

In this example, the Giver is 父 (My family) and the Receiver is 山田さん (Third person).
According to the sentence pattern above, you cannot use the ～てもらう sentence in this situation.
Therefore the following example is not accepted, although grammatically there's no mistake.

山田さんは父に自転車を直してもらいました。 X
yamada san wa chichi ni jitensha wo naoshite moraimashita X
Meaning: My father repaired the bicycle for Mr Tanaka.

17. Person の Noun を 持つ

持つ (motsu) means to hold, to carry, to possess.
Format is "Person の Noun を 持つ".

兄は私の鞄を持ってくれました。 Giver is 兄. Receiver is 私.

ani wa watashi no kaban wo motte kuremashita
Meaning: My elder brother carried the bag for me.

私は兄に鞄を持ってもらいました。
watashi wa ani ni kaban wo motte moraimashita
Meaning: My elder brother carried the bag for me.

18. Person の Noun を 叩く

叩く (tataku) means to hit, to strike, to beat.
Format is "Person の Noun を 叩く".

娘は私の肩を叩いてくれました。 Giver is 娘. Receiver is 私.

musume wa watashi no kata wo tataite kuremashita
Meaning: My daughter gave me a massage on my shoulder.

私は娘に肩を叩いてもらいました。
watashi wa musume ni kata wo tataite moraimashita
Meaning: My daughter gave me a massage on my shoulder.

19. Person の Noun を 手伝う

手伝う (tetsudau) means to help, to assist.
Format is "Person の Noun を 手伝う".

妹は母の皿洗いを手伝ってあげました。 Giver is 妹. Receiver is 母.

imouto wa haha no saraarai wo tetsudatte agemashita
Meaning: My younger sister helped my mother for the dish washing.

母は妹に皿洗いを手伝ってもらいました。
haha wa imouto ni saraarai wo tetsudatte moraimashita
Meaning: My younger sister helped my mother for the dish washing.

20. Person の Noun を 運ぶ

運ぶ (hakobu) means to transport.
Format is "Person の Noun を 運ぶ".

友達は私の荷物を運んでくれました。 Giver is 友達. Receiver is 私.

tomodachi wa watashi no nimotsu wo hakonde kuremashita
Meaning: My friend carried (transported) the luggage for me.

私は友達に荷物を運んでもらいました。
watashi wa tomodachi ni nimotsu wo hakonde moraimashita
Meaning: My friend carried (transported) the luggage for me.