Japanese

くれる

くれる
Meaning: to give (to me/us); to do something for me/us
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present くれる くれない
Polite くれます くれません
Past くれた くれなかった
Polite + Past くれました くれませんでした
Te-form くれて くれなくて
Potential くれられる くれられない
Passive くれられる くれられない
Causative くれさせる くれさせない
Imperative くれろ くれるな

Example sentences

友達が本をくれた
My friend gave me a book.
話の相手になってくれる
Will you be my conversation partner?
道を教えてくれませんか
Could you tell me the way?
おい、ちょっと待ってくれ。
Hey, wait a minute.
手伝ってくれると本当に助かります。
It would really help me if you could lend a hand.

Usage Notes

くれる indicates someone gives something to the speaker or the speaker's in-group. It shows the action benefits the speaker. Compare with あげる (I give to others) and もらう (I receive).

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.