Japanese Learning: One of Giving/receiving Verbs that means “Receive”: [Person] ni [Thing] o Moiraimashita.

A transitive verb “Moraimasu” is one of Giving/receiving Verbs, and its meaning is “Receive”. Actually, this verb “Moraimasu” has already appeared yesterday in the sentence 1.

1. Watashi wa Satou-san ni Choko o Moraimashita. (I received a chocolate from Ms. Sato.)

Sometimes the particle “kara” takes place of “ni” as below;

2. Watashi wa Satou-san kara Choko o Moraimashita.

By the way, do you know why the example sentences of “Moraimasu” use the past tense form “Moraimashita”? Why it isn’t “Watashi wa Satou-san ni Choko o Moraimasu.”?

When a verb means a motion, its basic form usually describes a motion in future. Therefore, if you say “Watashi wa Satou-san ni Choko o Moraimasu”, you would mean “I am going to receive a chocolate from Ms. Sato”. If you completely sure that Ms. Sato will give you a chocolate, you may say it. But it’s up to Ms. Sato whether or not she will give you chocolate. It is not what you can decide. So for the example of “Moraimasu”, the past tense form “Moraimashita” is used to say the fact that has happened in past.

Practice and remember the following conversation. Note that these sentences are of past tense.

A : Satou-san wa Dare ni Hon o Moraimashitaka.

B : Watashi wa Suzuki-san ni Hon o Moraimashita.

A : Ja, Takahasi-san ni Nani o Moraimashitaka.

B : Takahasi-san ni Hana o Moraimashita.

<この投稿は“スリーエーネットワーク、みんなの日本語 初級I 第2版, 第7課A5”の内容を参照しています。>