～てあげる (te ageru) – How to Say “Do Something for Someone” in Japanese

In English, you might say:

• “I helped my friend with homework.”
• “I held the door for her.”
• “I made dinner for him.”

In Japanese, when you do something for someone else’s benefit, you use ～てあげる.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What ～てあげる means and how it works
• How to use it (and when not to)
• The polite version ～てさしあげる and what it means culturally

Here's a quick Hatsune Miku song that this reminds us of before we get started 🤭 みくみくにしてあげる♪

What Does ～てあげる Mean?

～てあげる means “to do something for someone” — when you perform an action that benefits someone else.

It combines:

• The ～て form of a verb +
• The verb あげる (“to give”)

So literally, you’re “giving” the act of doing something.

Sentence Structure

[Person / Relationship] の [thing or action] を + Verb(て-form) + あげる

You can also use ～のために (“for the sake of”) when you want to emphasize that the action was done for their benefit.

Examples

• 友だちの宿題を手伝ってあげました。
  → I helped my friend with homework.
• 妹の引っ越しを手伝ってあげました。
  → I helped my little sister move.
• お母さんの荷物を持ってあげました。
  → I carried the bag for my mom.
• おばあさんのためにドアをあけてあげました。
  → I opened the door for the elderly woman.

You can switch to あげます for polite speech, or あげた / あげようか depending on tense and tone.

Who’s Giving and Who’s Receiving?

This grammar only works when:

• You (or someone close to you) are doing something
• For someone else’s benefit

If someone does something for you, use different patterns instead:

• ～てくれる → someone does something for you
• ～てもらう → you receive help from someone

We’ll cover those in separate articles!

Examples

• 私がやってあげますよ。
  → I’ll do it for you!
• 彼にプレゼントを買ってあげました。
  → I bought him a present.
• 写真を撮ってあげました。
  → I took a photo for them.

But Don’t Sound Too Arrogant…

In Japanese, how you say “doing something for someone” depends on who you’re talking to.

Using ～てあげる is totally fine when speaking with:

• Friends
• Siblings
• Classmates
• Children
• People at the same or lower social level

But if you use ～てあげる toward someone above you (like your boss, teacher, or a customer), it can sound a bit arrogant — as if you’re saying, “I’m doing you a favor.”

This nuance actually appears in pop culture too — in the song 「みくみくにして あげる♪」, Miku playfully uses ～てあげる to sound confident and teasing. 😄

The Polite Upgrade: ～てさしあげる

When speaking politely or formally, use ～てさしあげる instead.
It’s the humble form (謙譲語 / kenjōgo) of あげる, and it literally means:

“I humbly give (this action) to you.”

It lowers yourself while raising the other person — classic Japanese etiquette.

Examples

• おてつだいしてさしあげます。
  → I’ll help you. (Very polite)
• ごあんないしてさしあげます。
  → I’ll guide you. (Common in business or customer service)

Quick Politeness Scale

• やる → give/do (to animals, kids, casual)
• あげる → give/do (neutral)
• さしあげる → give/do (humble, respectful)

So when helping someone important or speaking formally, use ～てさしあげる to sound respectful.

Try It Yourself!

Translate these into Japanese using ～てあげる:

• I helped my friend with homework.
• I carried the bag for my mom.
• I took a photo for them.

✅ Answers

• 友だちの宿題を手伝ってあげました。
• お母さんの荷物を持ってあげました。
• 写真を撮ってあげました。

Key Takeaways

• ～てあげる = “do something for someone” (neutral)
• Use with people at your level or below
• For superiors, switch to ～てさしあげる (humble, formal)
• The subject is you (or your in-group) helping someone else
• Related grammar:
  • ～てくれる → someone does something for you
  • ～てもらう → you receive help from someone

Helping others is a big part of Japanese communication — but how you say it matters just as much as what you do! 💬✨