くれる

To Give (To Me)

Level 2Sounds Like kureru

くれる is the Japanese verb for 'to give' when the direction of the gift is toward the speaker or the speaker's 'in-group' (family, close friends).

How It Works

In Japanese, the direction of an action is crucial. くれる is used in the following structure:

[Giver] が [Recipient] に [Object] を くれる

Key points to remember:

  • The Recipient: The recipient must be 'me' (the speaker) or someone very close to the speaker (like a younger brother or a spouse).
  • The Subject: The person giving the item is the subject and is marked with the particle が. Crucially, the speaker can never be the subject/giver in a くれる sentence.
  • Omission of Recipient: In natural speech, 私に is frequently omitted because the verb くれる already implies the recipient is the speaker.
  • Gratitude: Using くれる implies you are thankful for the item.
  • Auxiliary Use: When attached to the て form of a verb (〜てくれる), it means someone did an action as a favor for you.

Conjugation:
くれる is an Ichidan (ru-verb).
• Dictionary: くれる
• Polite: くれます
• Past: くれた / くれました

Examples (4)

  1. 友達が（私に）本をくれました。

    My friend gave me a book.

    Word by Word: Friend (subject) (to me) book (object) gave.

    The friend is the giver, so they are marked with が. Since the book is coming to 'me,' we use くれました.

  2. お姉ちゃんが辞書をくれた。

    My big sister gave (me) a dictionary.

    Word by Word: Big sister (subject) dictionary (object) gave.

    In casual speech, the recipient (私に) is often omitted because くれる already implies the recipient is the speaker.

  3. 佐藤さんがお菓子をくれました。

    Sato-san gave me some sweets.

    Word by Word: Sato-san (subject) sweets (object) gave.

    This sentence focuses on Sato-san's initiative and kindness in giving the sweets.

  4. 知らない人が道を教えてくれました。

    A stranger (kindly) showed me the way.

    Word by Word: Not-knowing person (subject) road (object) teaching-gave.

    This uses the ～てくれる pattern, showing the stranger did the action of 'teaching/showing' as a favor.

Common Mistakes

  • Using くれる when you are the giver.

    私は友達にプレゼントをくれた。
    私は友達にプレゼントをあげた。

    You cannot use くれる for actions moving away from you. When you give to others, use あげる.

  • Marking the recipient with が.

    私は友達が本をくれた。
    友達が（私に）本をくれた。

    In a くれる sentence, the giver is the subject and must be marked with が. The recipient is marked with に (or omitted if it is the speaker).

  • Using くれる for a high-status giver (like a boss).

    社長がプレゼントをくれた。
    社長がプレゼントをくださった。

    When a superior gives you something, you should use the honorific version くださる to show proper respect.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

くれるLevel 2To Give (To Me)

Learn This First

To understand 'くれる', you need to know how to mark the giver (subject), the receiver (indirect object), and the item being given (direct object) using basic Japanese particles. This pattern specifically describes an action where someone gives something to you (the speaker).

Words in This Pattern