〜てあげる: Doing Something For Someone (Meaning + Examples)
The favour the auxiliary lays on the verb
On its own, あげる is the "give" you already know for objects: 本をあげる = "give a book." Attached to a verb's て-form, it stops giving a thing and starts giving an action. That is the whole meaning 〜てあげる adds: whatever the verb does, it now happens for someone else as a favour, and the sentence is framed from the giver's side — the person doing the kindness.
ヤッタンはモチに本を貸してあげた。
ヤッタンは モチに ほんを かして あげた。
Yattan lent Mochi a book (as a favour).
貸す → 貸して + あげた = did the lending for Mochi.
先生にお茶を作ってあげます。
せんせいに おちゃを つくって あげます。
I'll make tea for the teacher.
ヤッタンはモチの宿題を手伝ってあげた。
ヤッタンは モチの しゅくだいを てつだって あげた。
Yattan helped Mochi with his homework.
Which verbs it pairs with, and who receives
Almost any action verb can carry あげる — you simply take its て-form and attach あげる, which then conjugates as a regular る-verb:
| Verb | て-form | + あげる | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 貸す (lend) | 貸して | 貸してあげる | lend for someone |
| 作る (make) | 作って | 作ってあげます | make for someone (polite) |
| 手伝う (help) | 手伝って | 手伝ってあげた | helped for someone (past) |
| 教える (teach) | 教えて | 教えてあげない | won't teach for someone (negative) |
The person who receives the favour is usually marked with に:
ヤッタンはモチに日本語を教えてあげた。
ヤッタンは モチに にほんごを おしえて あげた。
Yattan taught Mochi Japanese.
モチに = the receiver of the favour.
When the base verb already carries its own object or destination, follow that verb's normal grammar — に most of the time, but watch the verb. With 手伝う ("help"), the person helped takes を: ヤッタンは弟を手伝ってあげた ("Yattan helped his little brother").
Choosing the register: さしあげる, あげる, やる
Because the direction of the favour is baked into the auxiliary, so is your read on the receiver's rank. The three forms are the same grammar, tuned to the social distance between giver and receiver.
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てさしあげる | humble / very polite — for someone above you | 先生に説明してさしあげる = humbly explain for the teacher |
| 〜てあげる | neutral — for friends and equals | モチに貸してあげる = lend it for Mochi |
| 〜てやる | for inferiors, younger family, pets, plants | 花に水をやる→ 弟を手伝ってやる = help your little brother |
ヤッタンは弟に本を読んでやった。
ヤッタンは おとうとに ほんを よんで やった。
Yattan read a book to his little brother.
〜てやる fits a younger sibling or a pet.
モチは先生の荷物を持ってさしあげました。
モチは せんせいの にもつを もって さしあげました。
Mochi carried the teacher's bag (humbly).
How it differs from the plain verb and its neighbours
Drop あげる and you keep the action but lose the favour-flavour — and sometimes that is exactly what you want. Because 〜てあげる spotlights your kindness, saying it straight to the person you're helping can sound like you expect thanks — a bit boastful or condescending. 教えてあげます ("I'll teach you, for your benefit") can land as "I'll do you the favour of teaching you." Softer choices in that moment:
- Just drop あげる: モチに本を貸す ("I'll lend Mochi a book") — plain, no favour-flavour.
- Offer with 〜ましょうか ("Shall I…?"): 持ちましょうか ("Shall I carry that?").
〜てあげる stays perfectly natural when describing a favour to a third party (ヤッタンはモチを手伝ってあげた); just be careful aiming it directly at the receiver.
Its two neighbours flip the viewpoint. (We cover them on their own pages; here's the quick map.)
- 〜てあげる — I/we do for someone else. Giver's side: ヤッタンはモチに貸してあげた.
- 〜てくれる — someone does for me (or my in-group). Receiver's side, and it carries gratitude: モチがヤッタンに貸してくれた ("Mochi lent it to Yattan").
- 〜てもらう — I have/get someone to do for me. Also receiver's side, from the asker's angle: ヤッタンはモチに貸してもらった ("Yattan got Mochi to lend it / had it lent by Mochi").
Rule of thumb: if the favour flows outward from you, use あげる; if it flows toward you, use くれる or もらう.
The short version
- 〜てあげる = て-form + あげる = do an action for someone, from the giver's view.
- The receiver usually takes に (but follow the base verb — 手伝う uses を).
- Levels: さしあげる (humble) > あげる (neutral) > やる (inferiors/pets/plants).
- Said directly to the receiver it can sound condescending — soften with 〜ましょうか.
- Favour toward you instead? Use 〜てくれる or 〜てもらう.
Practice it
Choose the correct 〜てあげる / 〜てさしあげる / 〜てやる form and particle.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
友達を駅まで＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜てあげる mean?
It means you do an action for someone as a favour, told from the giver's side. Take a verb's て-form and add あげる: 貸してあげる ('lend it for someone').
Which particle marks the person who receives the favour?
Usually に: モチに教えてあげた ('taught Mochi'). But follow the base verb — 手伝う uses を, so it's 弟を手伝ってあげた.
What's the difference between さしあげる, あげる, and やる?
They're the same grammar at different politeness levels. 〜てさしあげる is humble (for superiors), 〜てあげる is neutral (friends/equals), and 〜てやる is for inferiors, younger family, pets, or plants.
Why can 〜てあげる sound rude?
Because it highlights your kindness. Said directly to the person you're helping, it can feel boastful or condescending. Soften it with 〜ましょうか ('Shall I…?') or just drop あげる.
Where 〜てあげる fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- The て-form · N5 — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜てくれる · N5 — 〜てくれる means someone does something FOR you as a kindness: モチが手伝ってくれた. Learn the form, the polite 〜てくださる, the request 〜てくれませんか, and how it differs from 〜てあげる and 〜てもらう.
- 〜てもらう · N5 — 〜てもらう means you receive the favor of someone doing something for you: the receiver is the subject, the doer takes に. Learn formation, the polite ていただく, and how it differs from てくれる and てあげる.
- 〜がほしい · N5 — ほしい expresses wanting a thing (a noun): 〜がほしい. Learn the formation, the が particle, the 〜てほしい variant ('want someone to do'), and how it differs from 〜たい.
Compared side by side
See how this pattern differs from the ones it's confused with:
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- なんて / なんか — なんか softens or gives a vague example ('something like'); なんて means 'such as / things like,' often dismissive or surprised. Learn the nuance, formation, and when to avoid them.
- 〜たり〜たり — 〜たり〜たり lists representative actions ('doing things like A and B'). Learn the formation from the た-form, the する at the end, and how it differs from plain て-form listing.
- と — The particle と joins nouns into a complete list ('A and B'), means 'with' someone, and pairs with 同じ/違う for comparisons. Learn how と differs from や.