auxiliary N4 essential casualpolitewritten
〜てもらう — have someone do ~ for you
〜てもらう
Builds on て形
Meaning
- to have / get someone to do ~ for one's benefit — the receiver of the favor is the subject
Key sentence
友達に宿題を手伝ってもらった。
I had my friend help me with my homework.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) | [beneficiary] は [doer] に V-て + もらう | 先生に直してもらう |
Variants
〜ていただく — humble: having a superior do something for me — 見ていただく
Examples
駅員に道を教えてもらった。
I had a station attendant tell me the way.
兄に車で送ってもらった。
I got my brother to drive me.
When you can't use it
- The person who does the action is marked に (or から), and the beneficiary is the subject. Don't mark the doer with が: 友達に手伝ってもらう ✓, not ×友達が…てもらう.
Easily confused with
See 〜てもらう in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜てもらう the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in Jengo