auxiliary N3 uncommon politewritten kenjougo (humble)

てさしあげる — do ~ for someone

てさしあげる

Meaning

to (humbly) do ~ for someone you respect — the humble (謙譲語) counterpart of 〜てあげる

It foregrounds your own kindness toward a superior, which can sound self-satisfied or condescending. Native speakers usually soften or rephrase it (お〜する, or simply offering) rather than say 〜てさしあげる to the person's face.

Key sentence

社長しゃちょうのかばんを持もってさしあげた。

I carried the company president's bag for him.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Verb (て-form)	V-て + さしあげる	貸かす → 貸かしてさしあげる

Variants

〜でさしあげる・でさしあげる — Voiced allomorph after て-forms that end in で (godan verbs in ぐ・ぬ・ぶ・む): 運はこぶ → 運はこんでさしあげる. Same meaning, phonetic variant.

Examples

お客様きゃくさまに道みちを教おしえてさしあげた。

I showed a customer the way.

兄あには先生せんせいの荷物にもつを車くるままで運はこんでさしあげた。

My brother carried the teacher's luggage to the car for her.

祖父そふに新聞しんぶんを読よんでさしあげた。

I read the newspaper aloud for my grandfather.

When you can't use it

The favor flows outward, from you toward the person you elevate. For a favor coming your way from a superior, switch to 〜てくださる (先生せんせいが教おしえてくださった), never 〜てさしあげる.

Easily confused with

〜てあげる Same outward favor; register only. 〜てあげる is the plain/neutral benefactive; 〜てさしあげる humbles you before a respected recipient. 〜ていただく Opposite direction, both keigo: 〜てさしあげる = I do a favor for a superior; 〜ていただく = I humbly have a superior do a favor for me.

See てさしあげる in real sentences

Jengo shows てさしあげる 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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