auxiliary N4 essential casualpolitewritten

〜てあげる — do ~ for someone (favor)

〜てあげる・てあげる

Meaning

to do ~ for someone (as a favor) — the benefactive auxiliary; the doer acts for another person's benefit

てあげる frames the action as a kindness you extend outward. Said to the person you're helping ('I'll do it for you'), it can sound patronizing, so it's safer used about a third party than to the beneficiary's face.

Key sentence

妹いもうとに日本語にほんごを教おしえてあげた。

I taught my little sister Japanese.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Verb (て-form)	V-て + あげる	持もつ → 持もってあげる

Examples

お年寄としよりに席せきをゆずってあげた。

I gave up my seat for an elderly person.

友達ともだちの引ひっ越こしを手伝てつだってあげる。

I'll help my friend with their move.

When you can't use it

The favor must go outward, never toward yourself — for a favor coming your way use 〜てくれる: 友達ともだちが手伝てつだってくれた ✓, never ×友達ともだちが私わたしに手伝てつだってあげた.

Easily confused with

〜てくれるてあげる = I do a favor for someone else (outward); てくれる = someone does a favor for me (inward). Same favor, opposite direction. 〜てもらうてあげる takes the doer as subject ('I did it for them'); 〜てもらう takes the beneficiary as subject ('they had it done').

See 〜てあげる in real sentences

Jengo shows 〜てあげる the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.

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