Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing the beneficiary of an action is often done through giving/receiving verbs (あげる, くれる, もらう) or the passive voice, rather than a direct noun equivalent.
The learner wants to say that someone does something for someone else's benefit, or that someone receives a benefit.
Use when the speaker or someone in the speaker's in-group does something for someone else. Implies a favor. Can sound condescending if used directly to the beneficiary, so use carefully.
私は友達に本を貸してあげた。
I lent a book to my friend (as a favor).
Use when someone does something for the speaker or the speaker's in-group. Expresses gratitude. The giver is the subject.
友達が本を貸してくれた。
My friend lent me a book (and I'm grateful).
Use when the speaker receives a favor from someone. The speaker is the subject and the giver is marked with に. Focuses on receiving the benefit.
私は友達に本を貸してもらった。
I got my friend to lend me a book (and I received the benefit).
Direct translation, but very formal and technical. Used in legal or insurance contexts. Not for everyday conversation.
保険金の受益者は妻です。
The beneficiary of the insurance money is my wife.
The learner wants to refer to the legal or formal recipient of assets or benefits.
Standard term for beneficiary in legal, financial, and insurance contexts.
遺言書で受益者を指定する。
Designate a beneficiary in the will.
Means 'recipient' and can be used for beneficiaries of payments or deliveries. Less formal than 受益者.
The learner wants to express that someone is affected by an action, often negatively, using the passive voice.
The indirect passive (迷惑の受身) is used when someone is adversely affected by an action. The subject is the person who suffers the consequence.
雨に降られて、風邪を引いた。
I got rained on and caught a cold (to my dismay).
These three verbs express giving and receiving, but the choice depends on the direction of the favor and the speaker's perspective. あげる: speaker gives to someone else. くれる: someone gives to speaker. もらう: speaker receives from someone. Using the wrong one can change the meaning or sound rude.
私は彼にプレゼントをあげた。
I gave him a present.
彼が私にプレゼントをくれた。
He gave me a present.
私は彼にプレゼントをもらった。
I received a present from him.
The English word 'beneficiary' is often translated as 受益者, but this sounds overly formal in daily conversation. Instead, use giving/receiving verbs or rephrase the sentence to describe the action and who it benefits.
Please confirm the beneficiary of the remittance.