Meaning & Usage
もらう (morau) means to receive or to get. The verb centers on the receiver's perspective — whoever is receiving is always the grammatical subject of the sentence.
Japanese handles giving and receiving differently from English. Where English relies on "give" from the giver's side, Japanese uses three separate verbs — each tied to who is at the center of the exchange and which way the object travels. もらう is for when the speaker (or someone the speaker identifies with) is the one receiving. The action flows toward the subject.
Ask yourself: "What did I get, and from whom?" The subject is always the receiver, and the giver is marked with に or から. One pattern covers nearly every もらう sentence: receiver = subject, giver = source (に/から).
もらう works in both casual and polite speech. Use もらいます (moraimasu) for present and future, もらいました (moraimashita) for past. When receiving from a social superior — a boss, teacher, or valued client — the humble verb いただく (itadaku) replaces もらう. At N5 level, もらいます and もらいました are all you need.
もらう covers physical things (gifts, books, money) and non-physical ones (advice, messages, information), which is why it surfaces constantly in everyday conversation.
Structure & Formation
The core sentence pattern for もらう is:
| Element | Particle | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Receiver (usually the speaker) | は / が | Subject — the one who receives |
| Giver | に / から | Source — the person or group giving |
| Thing received | を | Direct object — what is received |
| もらう / もらいます | — | Main verb |
Full pattern: [Receiver] は [Giver] に/から [Object] を もらう
When to use に vs から for the giver:
- Both に and から are correct and interchangeable in most situations.
- に is more common in everyday casual speech with friends, family, and peers.
- から is preferred when the giver is an organization, institution, or a social superior (a teacher, a company, a government office). It emphasizes the origin or source more explicitly.
Conjugation table:
| Form | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain present) | もらう | morau |
| Polite present / future | もらいます | moraimasu |
| Polite past | もらいました | moraimashita |
| Plain negative | もらわない | morawanai |
| Polite negative | もらいません | moraimasen |
| Te-form | もらって | moratte |
| Plain past | もらった | moratta |
Example Sentences
Receiving Physical Objects
私は友達にプレゼントをもらいました。
Watashi wa tomodachi ni purezento wo moraimashita.
I received a present from my friend.
彼女は彼氏に花をもらいました。
Kanojo wa kareshi ni hana wo moraimashita.
She received flowers from her boyfriend.
私は誕生日に新しい自転車をもらいました。
Watashi wa tanjoubi ni atarashii jitensha wo moraimashita.
I received a new bicycle for my birthday.
子供はお父さんにお小遣いをもらいます。
Kodomo wa otousan ni okozukai wo moraimasu.
The child receives allowance from their father.
Using から — With Teachers and Organizations
彼女は先生から本をもらいました。
Kanojo wa sensei kara hon wo moraimashita.
She received a book from her teacher.
彼は会社から賞をもらいました。
Kare wa kaisha kara shou wo moraimashita.
He received an award from the company.
私は先生から大切なアドバイスをもらいました。
Watashi wa sensei kara taisetsu na adobaisu wo moraimashita.
I received important advice from my teacher.
Receiving Non-Physical Things
私は友達にアドバイスをもらいました。
Watashi wa tomodachi ni adobaisu wo moraimashita.
I received advice from my friend.
田中さんは山田さんからメッセージをもらいました。
Tanaka-san wa Yamada-san kara messeji wo moraimashita.
Tanaka-san received a message from Yamada-san.
私は駅で地図をもらいました。
Watashi wa eki de chizu wo moraimashita.
I received a map at the station.
Questions, Past Tense, and Everyday Use
子供たちはサンタクロースからプレゼントをもらいます。
Kodomotachi wa Santakuroosu kara purezento wo moraimasu.
Children receive presents from Santa Claus.
私はお母さんに手紙をもらいました。
Watashi wa okaasan ni tegami wo moraimashita.
I received a letter from my mother.
誕生日に何をもらいましたか？
Tanjoubi ni nani wo moraimashita ka?
What did you receive for your birthday?
誰からもらったのですか？
Dare kara moratta no desu ka?
Who did you receive it from?
もらったお金で本を買いました。
Moratta okane de hon wo kaimashita.
I bought a book with the money I received.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Confusing もらう with くれる
❌ 友達は私にプレゼントをもらった。
✅ 友達は私にプレゼントをくれた。
With もらう, the receiver must be the grammatical subject. In the wrong sentence, 友達 is the subject — which would mean the friend is receiving, not giving. When the giver is the subject and gives to the speaker, use くれる (kureru) instead.
Mistake 2: Confusing もらう with あげる
❌ 私は友達にプレゼントをもらった。(when you gave the present)
✅ 私は友達にプレゼントをあげた。
The difference is direction. もらう means the subject is receiving; あげる (ageru) means the subject is giving. Ask: is the subject the giver or the receiver? Giving to another person → あげる. Receiving from another person → もらう. The object moves toward the subject with もらう, and away from it with あげる.
Mistake 3: Using が instead of に or から for the giver
❌ 私は友達がプレゼントをもらいました。
✅ 私は友達にプレゼントをもらいました。
In a もらう sentence, the giver is never the grammatical subject — the receiver is. The particle が marks the subject, so putting が on 友達 makes the friend the one receiving, flipping the meaning entirely. Always mark the giver with に or から.
Mistake 4: Omitting the object particle を
❌ 私は友達にプレゼントもらいました。
✅ 私は友達にプレゼントをもらいました。
The thing received must be marked with を. Native speakers drop particles in fast casual speech, but omitting を in formal writing or on the JLPT is a grammar error. Always place を between the received item and もらう.
Mistake 5: Using もらう in formal situations where いただく is required
❌ 部長からプレゼントをもらいました。(in a formal business context)
✅ 部長からプレゼントをいただきました。
もらう works fine in everyday situations. When receiving from a social superior — a company manager, an important client, or a respected elder — it is more natural to use いただく (itadaku), the humble equivalent of もらう. Using もらう with a boss can sound blunt in formal settings. This distinction matters more at N4 and beyond, but noticing it early will serve you well.
Cultural Notes
Gift-giving is a serious social ritual in Japan. The two main seasons are お中元 (ochugen) in mid-summer and お歳暮 (oseibo) at year's end. もらいました comes up constantly during both periods, in conversations about seasonal gifts from colleagues, clients, and relatives.
The three-verb system — もらう, あげる, くれる — reflects a Japanese cultural emphasis on perspective and social position. Each verb encodes not just who moved what, but where the speaker stands in the exchange. Receiving a gift is never a passive event: gratitude is expected, and a return gift often follows.
Among friends, 私は often drops when the speaker is obvious from context. 友達にプレゼントもらった is natural in rapid speech — both 私は and を can disappear. For the JLPT and formal writing, keep the full sentence structure with all particles in place.
Before meals, Japanese people say いただきます — "I humbly receive (this food)" — from the humble form of もらう. Gratitude for receiving is woven into the language at every level.
Related Grammar Points
- つもり — Intend To, Plan To (Grammar N5)
- たことがある — Have Done Before (Grammar N5)
- ながら — While Doing Two Things at Once (Grammar N5)
- もう — Already, Not Anymore, One More (Grammar N5)
- てください — Please Do (Grammar N5)
- ましょう — Let's Do Something Together (Volitional Polite) (Grammar N5)
JLPT Tips
JLPT N5 もらう questions almost always test the same two things: the correct particle for the giver (に or から, not が) and which verb fits the subject's role. Spot the subject first, then choose the verb.
Use the subject-direction test: Is the subject receiving or giving? Receiving → もらう. Giving to the speaker → くれる. Giving to someone else → あげる. Master this three-way split and the particle questions practically answer themselves.
The three-verb system at a glance:
- もらう — Receiver is the subject; action flows toward the subject.
- くれる — Giver is the subject; action flows toward the speaker.
- あげる — Giver is the subject; action flows away from the speaker.
もらいます and もらいました appear constantly in JLPT listening — gift exchanges, birthday stories, requests for favors. Train your ear to catch に or から before the verb to quickly place the giver.
Solid もらう knowledge at N5 also prepares you directly for N4, where 〜てもらう, 〜てくれる, and 〜てあげる appear everywhere. The logic is identical — once the base verbs click, the te-form extensions follow naturally.