〜ていただく: Humbly Receiving a Favor (Meaning + Examples)
What it means
〜ていただく lets you say that someone did something for you, while showing humility and respect toward that person. It's the polite, humble equivalent of 〜てもらう. The person who does the favor is marked with に; you (the receiver) are the subject. Because いただく lowers the speaker's side, it signals that the doer is someone you look up to — a teacher, a customer, a senior colleague.
ヤッタンは先生に推薦状を書いていただいた。
ヤッタンは せんせいに すいせんじょうを かいて いただいた。
Yattan had his teacher kindly write a recommendation.
先生 (the doer) takes に; ヤッタン receives the favor.
モチに駅まで案内していただきました。
モチに えきまで あんないして いただきました。
I had Mochi kindly show me the way to the station.
案内していただきました = the polite past.
先生に発音を直していただきたいです。
せんせいに はつおんを なおして いただきたいです。
I'd like to have the teacher kindly correct my pronunciation.
いただきたい = want to receive the favor.
How to form it
Attach いただく to the て-form of a verb. いただく itself conjugates as a regular う-verb (いただきます, いただいた, いただけます).
| Plain verb | て-form | + いただく | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く (write) | 書いて | 書いていただく | have someone kindly write |
| 教える (teach) | 教えて | 教えていただく | have someone kindly teach |
| 来る (come) | 来て | 来ていただく | have someone kindly come |
| する (do) | して | していただく | have someone kindly do |
The doer is marked with に; the thing done usually keeps を: 先生に発音を直していただく.
〜ていただく vs 〜てもらう
Same structure, different politeness level. Use いただく when the doer deserves extra respect; もらう is neutral and everyday.
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てもらう | neutral: receive a favor | 友だちに手伝ってもらう = have a friend help me |
| 〜ていただく | humble: receive a favor (respectful) | 先生に手伝っていただく = have my teacher kindly help me |
The grammar is identical — only the verb of receiving changes. If 〜てもらう makes sense, you can almost always swap in 〜ていただく to raise the politeness.
〜させていただく — a very humble "let me do…"
Combine the causative (〜させる, "let/make do") with いただく and you get 〜させていただく: literally "I humbly receive the favor of being allowed to do." In practice it's a very polite way to announce your own action — as if asking permission, even when none is really needed.
本日は休ませていただきます。
ほんじつは やすませて いただきます。
I will (humbly) be taking today off.
休む → 休ませて + いただきます.
それでは、説明させていただきます。
それでは、せつめいさせて いただきます。
Well then, allow me to explain.
Common opening line in presentations.
ヤッタンは会議に参加させていただきました。
ヤッタンは かいぎに さんかさせて いただきました。
Yattan was kindly allowed to take part in the meeting.
This pattern is extremely common in business and customer service, where people use it constantly to sound deferential about their own actions (確認させていただきます = "allow me to check," 始めさせていただきます = "let me begin"). A little goes a long way — overusing it can sound stiff.
〜ていただけますか / 〜ていただけませんか — polite requests
The potential form いただける ("be able to receive") turns 〜ていただく into a soft, polite request: 〜ていただけますか ("could I have you…?") and the even more polite negative 〜ていただけませんか ("couldn't I trouble you to…?"). The negative sounds humbler because it leaves the listener more room to decline.
もう一度説明していただけますか。
もう いちど せつめいして いただけますか。
Could you kindly explain it one more time?
ていただけますか = polite request.
ここに名前を書いていただけませんか。
ここに なまえを かいて いただけませんか。
Could I trouble you to write your name here?
ていただけませんか = a softer, humbler request.
This is one of the most useful polite request forms in Japanese, alongside 〜てください and 〜てくださいませんか. A dedicated guide on making polite requests covers the full range — for now, just remember that 〜ていただけますか / 〜ていただけませんか is your go-to for asking a respected person to do something.
Common mistakes
- Marking the doer with から or が. The person doing the favor takes に: 先生に教えていただいた (✓), not 先生が教えていただいた.
- Mixing up direction. 〜ていただく means you receive the favor. If a higher-status person does something for a third party, that's still fine, but don't confuse it with respectful forms where the other person is the subject.
- Using いただく for a casual equal. For friends and family, 〜てもらう is more natural; いただく toward a close friend sounds oddly formal.
- Forgetting the causative in させていただく. It's 休ませていただく (causて-form + いただく), not 休んでいただく — the latter would mean "have someone else rest."
Quick recap
- 〜ていただく = humble 〜てもらう: you receive the favor of someone doing something.
- The doer takes に; you are the subject.
- 〜させていただく = a very humble "(allow me to) do" — huge in business/service.
- 〜ていただけますか / 〜ていただけませんか = polite requests ("could I have you…?").
Your turn
Choose the correct use of 〜ていただく / 〜させていただく.
Start the 5-question drill →Take the full N4 〜ていただく drill →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 〜ていただく and 〜てもらう?
They mean the same thing — receiving the favor of someone doing something — but 〜ていただく is humble (謙譲語) and shows respect to the doer. Use 〜てもらう with friends and equals, and 〜ていただく for teachers, customers, and seniors.
Which particle marks the person who does the favor?
Use に: 先生に書いていただいた ('I had my teacher write it'). The receiver (you) is the subject, and the thing done usually keeps を.
When do I use 〜させていただく?
It's a very humble way to announce your own action, as if asking permission: 休ませていただきます ('I'll be taking off'). It's extremely common in business and customer service.
How do I make a polite request with this?
Use the potential form: 〜ていただけますか ('could you kindly…?') or the humbler 〜ていただけませんか ('couldn't I trouble you to…?'). The negative version sounds softer.