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Verb forms もらう

to receive · もらう · morau

13 form groups

Present / future

What happens now, usually, or later.

Affirmative Receive / will receive
Plain

もらう

morau

Polite

もらいます

moraimasu

Negative Do not receive / will not receive
Plain

もらわない

morawanai

Polite

もらいません

moraimasen

Past

What already happened.

Affirmative Received
Plain

もらった

moratta

Polite

もらいました

moraimashita

Negative Did not receive
Plain

もらわなかった

morawanakatta

Polite

もらいませんでした

moraimasendeshita

Te-form

Connect an action to what comes next.

Affirmative Receive, and…
Plain

もらって

moratte

Polite

もらいまして

moraimashite

Negative Not receive / without receiving
Plain

もらわなくて

morawanakute

Alternative variant

もらわないで

morawanaide

Polite

もらいませんで

moraimasende

Connecting forms change meaning with the sentence. The polite forms here are formal. Negative なくて connects a reason or state; ないで often means “without doing”.

If · ば

A condition with ば.

Affirmative If you receive
Plain

もらえば

moraeba

Polite

もらいますなら

moraimasunara

Alternative variant

もらいますならば

moraimasunaraba

Negative If you do not receive
Plain

もらわなければ

morawanakereba

Polite

もらいませんなら

moraimasennara

Alternative variant

もらいませんならば

moraimasennaraba

The polite alternatives here use なら / ならば to express the condition.

Potential

What someone is able to do.

Affirmative Can receive
Plain

もらえる

moraeru

Polite

もらえます

moraemasu

Negative Cannot receive
Plain

もらえない

moraenai

Polite

もらえません

moraemasen

Passive

What happens to the subject.

Affirmative Be received
Plain

もらわれる

morawareru

Polite

もらわれます

morawaremasu

Negative Not be received
Plain

もらわれない

morawarenai

Polite

もらわれません

morawaremasen

These are non-past passive forms. With intransitive verbs, the passive can describe being affected by someone’s action.

Causative

Making or allowing someone to act.

Affirmative Make / let someone receive
Plain

もらわせる

morawaseru

Alternative variant

もらわす

morawasu

Polite

もらわせます

morawasemasu

Alternative variant

もらわします

morawashimasu

Negative Not make / not let someone receive
Plain

もらわせない

morawasenai

Alternative variant

もらわさない

morawasanai

Polite

もらわせません

morawasemasen

Alternative variant

もらわしません

morawashimasen

Causative-passive

Being made to do something.

Affirmative Be made to receive
Plain

もらわせられる

morawaserareru

Alternative variant

もらわされる

morawasareru

Polite

もらわせられます

morawaseraremasu

Alternative variant

もらわされます

morawasaremasu

Negative Not be made to receive
Plain

もらわせられない

morawaserarenai

Alternative variant

もらわされない

morawasarenai

Polite

もらわせられません

morawaseraremasen

Alternative variant

もらわされません

morawasaremasen

Volitional

An invitation or intention.

Affirmative Let’s receive / intend to receive
Plain

もらおう

moraou

Polite

もらいましょう

moraimashou

Negative Intend not to receive
Plain

もらうまい

moraumai

Polite

もらいませんまい

moraimasenmai

Negative まい can also express “probably will not”, depending on context. It is formal or literary.

Imperative

A command or instruction.

Affirmative Receive!
Plain

もらえ

morae

Polite

もらいなさい

morainasai

Negative Do not receive!
Plain

もらうな

morauna

Polite

もらいなさるな

morainasaruna

The forms in the polite column are still commands. Negative なさるな is uncommon.

If / when · たら

A condition with たら.

Affirmative If / when you receive
Plain

もらったら

morattara

Polite

もらいましたら

moraimashitara

Negative If / when you do not receive
Plain

もらわなかったら

morawanakattara

Polite

もらいませんでしたら

moraimasendeshitara

Listing actions · たり

One action among others.

Affirmative Receiving, among other things
Plain

もらったり

morattari

Polite

もらいましたり

moraimashitari

Negative Not receiving, among other things
Plain

もらわなかったり

morawanakattari

Polite

もらいませんでしたり

moraimasendeshitari

たり lists representative actions. In everyday polite speech, politeness usually comes at the end of the sentence.

Verb stem

A base for building other expressions.

Verb stem Receive… · stem for other forms
Plain

もらい

morai

Polite

No form

A stem is used to build other expressions; it is not a complete verb on its own.

English meanings are reading guides. The subject and context can change the translation.

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