JLPT N4 Grammar
· Elementary
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· Elementary
to receive a favor (humble)
Category: Giving & Receiving
The grammar pattern ～ていただく is used to express receiving a favor from someone of higher social status in a humble and polite manner. It is the humble (keigo) version of 'te morau' and is used to show respect and gratitude towards the giver. This pattern is extremely polite and is often used in formal situations or when speaking to someone of higher authority.
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masu form of the verb | Verb stem + て + ください | 食べる (taberu) becomes 食べてください (tabete kudasai) |
| Masu form of the verb | Verb stem + て + ください | 書く (kaku) becomes 書いてください (kakete kudasai) |
| Masu form of the verb | Verb stem + て + ください | 見る (miru) becomes 見てください (mite kudasai) |
私は先生に作文を直してください。
Watashi wa sensei ni sakubun o tashite kudasai.
I would like you to correct my essay.
私 (watashi) - I, 先生 (sensei) - teacher, 作文 (sakubun) - essay, 直して (tashite) - correct, ください (kudasai) - please
素晴らしいお土産をありがとうございます。
Subarashii omiyage o arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you for the wonderful souvenir.
素晴らしい (subarashii) - wonderful, お土産 (omiyage) - souvenir, ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu) - thank you
昨日、課長に食事に連れて行ってください。
Kinō, kachō ni shokuji ni tsurete ikite kudasai.
Please take me to dinner with the department head yesterday.
昨日 (kinō) - yesterday, 課長 (kachō) - department head, 食事 (shokuji) - dinner, 連れて行って (tsurete ikite) - take, ください (kudasai) - please
The grammar pattern ～ていただく is used in formal situations or when speaking to someone of higher authority. It is a polite way to express receiving a favor and is often used in business or professional settings. It can also be used in situations where you want to show respect and gratitude towards someone.
When the speaker is doing the favor, it is more polite to use 'te kudasaru' instead of ～ていただく.
When speaking to an equal or inferior in a casual setting, it is more appropriate to use a more casual polite expression such as 'te morau' or 'te kudasaru'.
When the superior is the subject, it is more polite to use 'te kudasaru' instead of ～ていただく. Remember that the subject is the person performing the action.
When using the grammar pattern ～ていただく in the JLPT exam, make sure to use the correct verb form and polite expression. Also, pay attention to the context and situation to determine whether to use ～ていただく or 'te kudasaru'.
私は先生に作文を直して______。
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