～てもらう
Receive the benefit of someone's action
You'll be able to say that you arranged for or received help from someone who did an action.
芽衣は蓮に宿題を手伝ってもらいました。
mei wa ren ni shukudai o tetsudatte moraimashita.
What do you think this sentence means?
Mei got Ren to help her with her homework.
Describe receiving someone’s help
～てもらう puts the recipient of help at the center. The helper is usually marked に, and the main verb describes the action that helper performs.
先生に漢字を教えてもらいました。
sensei ni kanji o oshiete moraimashita.
I received help from the teacher with kanji.
Form and use ～てもらう
私は先生に教えてもらった means the teacher taught me, not that I taught the teacher. ～てくれる can describe the same favor with the helper as subject; ～てもらう takes the recipient’s viewpoint.
先生に漢字を教えてもらいました。
sensei ni kanji o oshiete moraimashita.
I received help from the teacher with kanji.
父に駅まで送ってもらいます。
chichi ni eki made okutte moraimasu.
I will have my father take me to the station.
The same favor from two viewpoints
Both sentences describe Ren helping me. くれる puts Ren in the subject position; もらう puts the recipient there and marks Ren with に.
くれる
蓮が私を手伝ってくれました。
ren ga watashi o tetsudatte kuremashita.
Ren helped me.
Ren is the helper and subject; 私 is the person helped.
もらう
私は蓮に手伝ってもらいました。
watashi wa ren ni tetsudatte moraimashita.
I got help from Ren.
私は names the recipient; 蓮 is the helper marked by に.
先生に作文を直してもらいました。
sensei ni sakubun o naoshite moraimashita.
I had my teacher correct my essay.
友だちに駅まで車で送ってもらいました。
tomodachi ni eki made kuruma de okutte moraimashita.
A friend gave me a ride to the station.
店員さんに足のサイズを測ってもらいました。
ten'insan ni ashi no saizu o hakatte moraimashita.
I had the shop assistant measure my foot size.
7 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.