あげる・くれる・もらう details
Examples
give — あげる sends the thing away from the speaker's side, くれる brings it in
これ、母がくれたお菓子。よかったら食べて。
kore, haha ga kureta okashi. yokattara tabete.
These are sweets my mum gave me — help yourself. casual
誕生日に、妹に手袋をあげました。
tanjoubi ni, imouto ni tebukuro o agemashita.
I gave my little sister gloves for her birthday. neutral
ご来店のお客様には、粗品を差し上げております。
go raiten no okyakusama ni wa, soshina o sashiagete orimasu.
We are giving a small gift to every customer who visits the store. formal
receive — もらう makes the receiver the subject, and に or から marks who it came from
先輩に古い自転車をもらったんだ。
senpai ni furui jitensha o moratta n da.
I got an old bike from an upperclassman. casual
面接のあとで、会社から詳しい資料をもらいました。
mensetsu no ato de, kaisha kara kuwashii shiryou o moraimashita.
After the interview I received detailed materials from the company. neutral
先生から貴重なご意見をいただきました。
sensei kara kichou na go iken o itadakimashita.
I received valuable comments from my professor. formal
恐れ入りますが、こちらの申込書をもう一枚いただけませんか。
osoreirimasu ga, kochira no moushikomisho o mou ichimai itadakemasen ka.
I'm sorry to trouble you — might I have one more of these application forms? formal
Formation
(人)が(人)に(物)をあげるattaches to noun phrase (schematic)(人)が私(の側)に(物)をくれるattaches to noun phrase (schematic)(人)が(人)に/から(物)をもらうattaches to noun phrase (schematic)
Notes
あげる never does: ×田中さんが私に本をあげた. Between two
outsiders it is あげる.
Related patterns
Similar
The bare verb asks for a THING (申込書をいただけませんか), the て-form for an ACT (書いていただけませんか) — the politeness is identical, and only what is being asked for decides which one a counter uses.
The bare verb hands over a THING (ノートをくれた), the て-form hands over an ACT (ノートを貸してくれた) — and Japanese requires the second one where English drops "for me" altogether.
もらう with an object reports a transfer and nothing more; 〜てもらう adds that the receiver invited the favour, which is why a stranger's unasked kindness goes to 〜てくれた instead.
Only the て-form carries the patronising edge — あげる with an object is neutral (お土産をあげた), while 持ってあげましょうか aimed upward advertises the favour and has to become お持ちしましょうか.
Lookalikes
One に, two opposite roles — 友だちにあげる makes the friend the destination, 友だちにもらう makes them the source; から may replace the source に (先生からもらう) but never a recipient に, so 友だちからあげる can only mean the friend is the giver.
The same verb in two frames — 書いてあげる puts the writing at someone else's service, 書き上げる finishes it; the て-form marks the favor and the ます-stem the completion, and nothing else tells them apart.