Using the て Form ＋あげる

1. Vocabulary List

Japanese	Romaji	English
あげる	ageru	to give (speaker gives to someone else)
もらう	morau	to receive
くれる	kureru	to give (when the receiver is the speaker)
みせる（見せる）	miseru	to show
貸す（かす）	kasu	to lend
手伝う（てつだう）	tetsudau	to help
つれていく	tsurete iku	to take (someone to a place)
ゆっくり	yukkuri	slowly
話す（はなす）	hanasu	to talk / speak
ローマ字（ローマじ）	roomaji	romaji
書く（かく）	kaku	to write
いっしょに	issho ni	together
行く（いく）	iku	to go
スマホ	sumaho	smartphone
なおす	naosu	to fix / repair
パスポート	pasupooto	passport
弟（おとうと）	otouto	younger brother
ひらがな	hiragana	hiragana
教える（おしえる）	oshieru	to teach
妹（いもうと）	imouto	younger sister
自転車（じてんしゃ）	jitensha	bicycle
父（ちち）	chichi	(my) father
車（くるま）	kuruma	car
洗う（あらう）	arau	to wash
家族（かぞく）	kazoku	family
写真（しゃしん）	shashin	photo
母（はは）	haha	(my) mother
山（やま）	yama	mountain
ポチ	Pochi	Pochi (dog name)
海（うみ）	umi	sea / seaside
本（ほん）	hon	book
友だち（ともだち）	tomodachi	friend

2. Grammar & Sentences

あげる / もらう / くれる — Review

These three verbs are used when giving or receiving things (objects or actions):

Verb	Meaning	Used When
あげる	to give	speaker (or 3rd person) gives to someone else
もらう	to receive	speaker receives from someone
くれる	to give	someone gives to the speaker (receiver = speaker)

Object example:

女の子はお父さんにケーキをあげます。(Onna no ko wa otousan ni keeki wo agemasu.) — "The girl will give her father a cake."

て Form ＋あげる — Doing a Favour for Someone

When what is given is an action (not a thing), attach あげる after the て form of the action verb.

Structure: verb て form + あげます / あげました

Meaning: "(I/someone) does [action] as a favour for someone else."

Comparison:

Japanese	English
ゆっくり話します。	I speak slowly.
ゆっくり話してあげます。	I speak slowly (for you).

てあげる — Example Sentences

Japanese	Romaji	English
ゆっくり話してあげます。	Yukkuri hanashite agemasu.	I'll speak slowly (for you).
ローマ字で書いてあげます。	Roomaji de kaite agemasu.	I'll write it in romaji (for you).
いっしょに行ってあげます。	Issho ni itte agemasu.	I'll go with you (as a favour).
スマホをなおしてあげます。	Sumaho wo naoshite agemasu.	I'll fix your smartphone (as a favour).
パスポートを見せます。	Pasupooto wo misemasu.	I'll show you my passport.
家族の写真を見せてあげます。	Kazoku no shashin wo misete agemasu.	I'll show you a photo of my family.
私は弟にひらがなを教えてあげました。	Watashi wa otouto ni hiragana wo oshiete agemashita.	I taught my younger brother hiragana.
私は妹に自転車を貸してあげました。	Watashi wa imouto ni jitensha wo kashite agemashita.	I lent my younger sister a bicycle.
私は家族に日本でとった写真を見せてあげます。	Watashi wa kazoku ni Nihon de totta shashin wo misete agemasu.	I'll show my family the photos I took in Japan.
私は母を手伝ってあげました。	Watashi wa haha wo tetsudatte agemashita.	I helped my mother.
私はポチを山につれていってあげました。	Watashi wa Pochi wo yama ni tsurete itte agemashita.	I took Pochi to the mountain.
私たちは父の車を洗ってあげました。	Watashitachi wa chichi no kuruma wo aratte agemashita.	We washed our dad's car.

てあげる Phrases — Vocabulary Pairs

てあげる Form	English
手伝ってあげる	to help (someone)
見せてあげる	to show (something to someone)
貸してあげる	to lend (something to someone)

Particles with てあげる — Key Rule

The particle used with the person (recipient) depends on the base verb:

Verb	Particle for Person	Example
貸す, 見せる, 教える	に (indirect object)	友だちに本を貸してあげます。(I'll lend a book to my friend.)
手伝う, つれていく	を (direct object)	友だちを手伝ってあげます。(I'll help my friend.)
つれていく	を + destination に	友だちを海につれていってあげます。(I'll take my friend to the sea.)

Why を for 手伝う and つれていく? These verbs treat the person as the direct object of the action — you are acting on them directly, not giving something to them indirectly.

3. Learning Context

Grammar Focus: て form ＋あげる to describe doing an action as a favour for someone — extending the あげる/もらう/くれる giving/receiving system from objects to actions.
Key Pattern: てあげる = "(I) do [action] for you/them (as a favour)." The favour direction is always away from the speaker.
Particle Caution: Most verbs use に for the recipient, but 手伝う and つれていく use を because the person is the direct object — a common error point.
みせる / 見せる: New vocabulary introduced in this section. Example: パスポートを見せてください。(Please show me your passport.)
Context: Everyday favour-giving scenarios — teaching siblings, lending items, showing photos, taking pets to the mountain.
Cultural Note: In Japanese culture, explicitly framing actions as favours (てあげる) carries a nuance of generosity — overusing it can sound condescending. Native speakers often use softer forms in real conversation.

4. Progress Tracker

Field	Detail
Current Level	Intermediate B1
Chapter / Topic	Chapter 7 — Services
Completion	Section 1 of 7
Latest Performance	94% (Score), +15 Stars

Using the て Form ＋ あげる