Japanese Elementary: Asking and Wanting Someone to Do Something with 〜て form + くれる/もらう
Learn how to say 'She asked me to wait' and 'I want him to come' in Japanese using 〜て form with くれる, もらう, and ほしい, including particles and politeness.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, you can say 'She asked me to wait' or 'I want him to come' by putting an object before an infinitive. Japanese does not use infinitives this way. Instead, it uses the 〜て form of a verb together with helping expressions like くれる (kureru), もらう (morau), or the adjective ほしい (hoshii). The person who is asked or wanted is marked by the particle に (ni). This lesson teaches you to build these sentences accurately at an elementary level, so you can talk about requests and desires involving other people.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone to do something using 〜てくれる and 〜てもらう.
- say I want someone to do something using 〜てほしい.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
彼女は私に待ってくれるように頼んだ。
She asked me to wait.
Kanojo wa watashi ni matte kureru yō ni tanonda.
Use 〜てくれるように頼む when someone asks you to do something for them. 私に marks you as the person asked. Note that くれる here describes the action as a favor toward the speaker, so this pattern is used when the asker benefits.
私は彼に来てもらいたい。
I want him to come.
Watashi wa kare ni kite moraitai.
〜てもらいたい expresses that you want someone to do something for you. 彼に marks the person you want to act.
母は私に買い物に行ってほしい。
My mother wants me to go shopping.
Haha wa watashi ni kaimono ni itte hoshii.
〜てほしい directly expresses a desire for someone else to do something. 私に marks the person your mother wants to act. Note that 母 is the topic (the one who wants), and 私に marks the person she wants to act.
先生は学生に静かにしてほしい。
The teacher wants the students to be quiet.
Sensei wa gakusei ni shizuka ni shite hoshii.
Use 〜てほしい with に to state what someone wants another person to do. 静かにして is the 〜て form of 静かにする.
友達に手伝ってもらった。
I had my friend help me.
Tomodachi ni tetsudatte moratta.
〜てもらう means 'to receive the favor of someone doing something.' 友達に marks the helper.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: [person] は [person] に [verb て form] + くれる / もらう / ほしい. For example, 彼女は私に待ってくれるように頼んだ (She asked me to wait). Here 私に marks the person who is asked. To say you want someone to do something, use 〜てほしい: 私は彼に来てほしい (I want him to come). To say you received a favor, use 〜てもらう: 私は彼に来てもらった (I had him come). The 〜て form is essential; do not use the dictionary form before these helpers. Note that 〜てくれるように頼む is used when the action benefits the speaker or the speaker's in-group; when reporting a request that does not involve the speaker, 〜ように頼む or 〜てもらうように頼む may be more natural.
When to use it
Use 〜てくれるように頼む when reporting a request made to you or someone else: 母は私に掃除してくれるように頼んだ (My mother asked me to clean). Use 〜てほしい for direct desires about others' actions: 私はあなたに一緒に来てほしい (I want you to come with me). Use 〜てもらう for favors received: 私は先生に説明してもらった (I had the teacher explain). Note that 〜てほしい can sound direct; in polite contexts, soften it with のですが or use 〜ていただけませんか.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
田中さんはあなたに何を頼みましたか。
What did Tanaka ask you to do?Tanaka-san wa anata ni nani o tanomimashita ka.田中さんは私に待ってくれるように頼みました。
Tanaka asked me to wait.Tanaka-san wa watashi ni matte kureru yō ni tanomimashita.あなたは誰に来てほしいですか。
Who do you want to come?Anata wa dare ni kite hoshii desu ka.私は友達に来てほしいです。
I want my friend to come.Watashi wa tomodachi ni kite hoshii desu.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese, expressing what you want someone else to do can feel imposing. 〜てほしい is common among close friends and family, but at work or with strangers, indirect forms like 〜ていただけませんか (would you please do) are preferred. Similarly, 〜てくれるように頼む reports a request neutrally, while direct commands are avoided. Pay attention to politeness level and the relationship between speakers.
One thing to watch for
Using the dictionary form before くれる or ほしい, as in 彼女は私に待つくれるように頼んだ.
Try this instead: Always use the 〜て form: 彼女は私に待ってくれるように頼んだ. The 〜て form links the verb to the helper. For ほしい, say 来てほしい, not 来るほしい.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I want my sister to help me' using 〜てほしい?
Show a sample answer
私は姉に手伝ってほしい。
私 marks the speaker, 姉に marks the person you want to act, and 手伝って is the 〜て form of 手伝う. You could also say 姉に手伝ってもらいたい, which is slightly more indirect.
2Translate: 'The teacher asked the students to be quiet.'
Show a sample answer
先生は学生に静かにするように頼んだ。
先生は is the topic, 学生に marks the students, 静かにする is the plain form of 静かにする, and ように頼んだ reports the request. Because the teacher's request does not benefit the speaker, 〜てくれるように頼む is not appropriate here; use 〜ように頼む instead.
3What is wrong with 私は彼に来るもらいたい?
Show a sample answer
It should be 私は彼に来てもらいたい。
〜てもらう requires the 〜て form, not the dictionary form. 来る must become 来て. The corrected sentence means 'I want him to come (for me).'
Use the 〜て form plus くれる, もらう, or ほしい to talk about asking or wanting someone to do something. Mark the other person with に, and adjust politeness to the situation.
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