てもらう【～てもらう】

The structure ～てもらう expresses the idea of receiving the favor of someone doing something for you. It translates to "to have someone do (something)" or "to get someone to do (something)." The subject is the person who receives the benefit of the action, and the doer is marked with the particle に.

Basic usage

The person who performs the action is marked with に. The subject (the receiver of the favor) is often omitted when it is obvious from context.

Nuance: requesting or arranging

Unlike ～てくれる, which simply describes someone doing something for you (often voluntarily), ～てもらう carries the nuance that the receiver actively sought out, requested, or arranged the action. The focus is on the receiver's perspective – they are the one who benefits and who made it happen.

Compare with 〜～てくれる:

• かのじょ彼女がえき駅までおくって送ってくれた – She (kindly) drove me to the station. (Focus on her kindness)
• かのじょ彼女にえき駅までおくって送ってもらった – I had her drive me to the station. (Focus on me receiving the favor)

Polite form: ～てもらえる / ～てもらえますか

The potential form ～てもらえる is used to make polite requests, meaning "could I have you do…?" or "would you be able to do…?"

This is a very natural and common way to ask for help in Japanese.

Conjugation

Since もらう is a う-verb, it conjugates normally:

• Past: ～てもらった / ～てもらいました
• Negative: ～てもらわない / ～てもらいません
• Potential: ～てもらえる / ～てもらえます
• たい form: ～てもらいたい