タグ: Benefactive expressions

Now, we will learn the third benefactive expression, “[V-te] Agemashita.” This time in the section 24, all the sentences are of past/perfect tense. Let us review three types of benefactive expression as shown below;

<V-te Morau> : Watashi wa [Someone] ni [V-te] Moraimashita. — A3

<V-te Kureru> : [Someone] wa [#1]* [V-te] Kuremashita. —A4

<V-te Ageru> : Watashi wa [#2]** [V-te] Agemashita. — A5

* “Watashi” and a proper particle may be put into [#1]. As was shown in yesterday’s post;

– Satou-san wa Watashi ni Shukudai no Kotae o Misete Kuremashita.

– Suzuki-san wa Watashi o Kyouto e Tsurete Itte Kuremashita.

– Takahashi-san wa Watashi no Hikkoshi o Tetsudatte Kuremashita.

the particle for “Watashi” is “ni”, “o”, or “no” depending on the verb used in the sentence.

** [Someone] and a proper particle may be put into [#2]. This is what we are learning today.

– Watashi wa Satou-san ni DVD o Kashite Agemashita. (I lent a DVD to Sato-san.)

– Watashi wa Satou-san o Byouin ni Tsurete Itte Agemashita. (I took Sato-san to a hospital.)

– Watashi wa Satou-san no Chuugokugo o Naoshite Agemashita. (I corrected Sato-san’s Chinese.)

At the end of the section 24, here are some quizzes.

(1) Watashi wa Satou-san ni Kanji o Oshiete Moraimashita.

(2) Suzuki-san wa Watashi o Eki e Tsurete Itte Kuremashita.

(3) Watashi wa Takahashi-san no Hikkoshi o Tetsudatte Agemashita.

Q1: I helped someone, and the subject of the sentence is “I”. Which of (1)-(3) is this?

Q2: Someone helped me, and the subject is someone. Which of (1)-(3) is this?

Q3: Someone helped me, but the subject is “I”. Which of (1)-(3) is this?

This post was written with reference to the exercise A4 on Section24 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”

We have already learned three giving/receiving verbs; Ageru, Morau, and Kureru. So far the sentence constructions using these verbs are about giving and receiving an object.

1. [ I ]wa [ Someone ]ni [ Object ]o Agemasu.  — I will be a giver

2. [ I ]wa [ Someone ]ni [ Object ]o Moraimashita. — I was a receiver

3. [ Someone ]wa [ I ]ni [ Object ]o Kuremashita. — I was a receiver, but the subject is the giver

It’s apart from the point, but did you notice that the sentence 1 is in future tense, 2 and 3 are in past tense? In the sentence 1, action “giving” will be done by me. Therefore, “I” can say what I will do in the future as an expression of will. But in the sentence 2 and 3, “giving” will be done by someone other than “I”. You can’t be perfectly sure what other people will do in the future, even if you are expecting that someone will give you something. In order to make the examples good to be practical, those 2 and 3 are using past tense. If someone gave you something in the past, it’s a sure thing so that you can express other people’s action that is “gave me”.

Anyway, the sentences 1 to 3 are expressing doing a favor by giving an object. Then, how can we express doing a favor by doing an action? The exercises A3, A4, and A5 introduce the sentence constructions that express doing a favor by doing an action. Today, we are learning one of the three, “[V-te]+Morau” as shown below;

– Watashi wa Satou-san ni Shukudai no Kotae o Misete Moraimashita.

(I was shown the answers of homework by Sato-san.)

– Watashi wa Suzuki-san ni Kyouto e Tsurete Itte Moraimashita.

(I was taken to Kyoto by Suzuki-san.)

– Watashi wa Takahashi-san ni Hikkoshi o Tetsudatte Moraimashita.

(I was helped for my moving by Takahashi-san.)

This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section24 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”