Offer to do something for someone

wkz · 7 Nov 2013

Hi.

How can you ask someone if it is okay to to something for them?

Use case would be, for example, when talking about music - "If you'd like I can bring you this album". From my very limited understanding of Japanese I can build a sentence using ので - "It's okay with you ので, I'll bring the album". This is not perfect when it comes to translating my initial thought into Japanese (subtituting "if you'd like" for "if it's okay"); it might not be very polite (I'm addressing my teacher, and though we're on friendly terms I'd like to avoid being too familiar); it might be completely wrong to begin with.

I'b be grateful for any help, maybe even in a form of telling me what topic should I search for (English isn't my native language, so sometimes it is difficult to form a cohesive and precise search request due to unsufficient vocabulary)

undrentide · 7 Nov 2013

～ので is used to state a reason, so it does not really fit in the context you wish to use.
Most commonly used phrase for "if you like" is
よかったら (can be used for casual or polite), よろしかったら (very polite)

e.g.
I'll bring it (for you) if you like
よかったら（あなたのかわりに）はこびます。

wkz · 8 Nov 2013

Thank you.

Is it okay to replace はこぶ with あげる, when the meaning is "to give"? (e.g. I have an item at hand)

And just two more small questions, if you don't mind.
Word for word 「よかったら」 would be "If it's good" (conditional form of 良い), right?
Dictionary meanings of かわり strongly suggests that something is done/given in return for something, but it is still ok to use this word in cases when nothing is expected in return?

Morphling · 8 Nov 2013

Not too sure if that sentence made any sense.

I would just say もしよかったら、今度(そのアルバムを)持ってきますね。

持ってくる means to bring something. The lending/giving would be implied.
運ぶ means to move, transport. Can't really be used here.
あげる means to give but usually it implies you your gifting the album for good. If you mean to lend, use 貸す. (そのアルバムを)貸してもいいですよ。

Te + あげる is a grammar construct to mean doing someone a favor but You are really emphasizing the favor part. Cannot be used with people senior to you.

かわり can mean many things but does not make any sense here.

wkz · 10 Nov 2013

Thanks. I already knew of 持ってくる, but never thought of it because the whole giving-recieving subject usually lands in the vicinity of あげる/くれる (at least in my expericence). And overall your example is a bit more digestable.

Morphling · 10 Nov 2013

wkz said:
Is it okay to replace はこぶ with あげる, when the meaning is "to give"? (e.g. I have an item at hand)

運ぶ means to move. It is neutral and does not have any meaning that implies giving. As a compound, 運搬、運輸 all mean move/transport.

Word for word 「よかったら」 would be "If it's good" (conditional form of 良い), right?

Correct.

Dictionary meanings of かわり strongly suggests that something is done/given in return for something, but it is still ok to use this word in cases when nothing is expected in return?

No it means strictly that. It is usually used in the form of "Favor from someone + かわりに、+ Favor done in return for that person."

例: 宿題を手伝ってもらうかわりに、そのアルバムを貸してあげる。

As the person is a teacher and senior to you, it would be socially inappropriate to actually say anything like that in real life. With a friend that you know well, sure you can say whatever you want. This is the thing that is hard with Japanese. Grammar and vocabulary is not enough. Need to also know what's socially appropriate.

If nothing is expected in return, かわりに can't be used.

wkz · 10 Nov 2013

Morphling said:
例: 宿題を手伝ってもらうかわりに、そのアルバムを貸してあげる。

Lit. "[You] give me help with my homework, in return I lend you the album" ?
I don't think this kind of sentence will be appropriate in any language when the situation is even a bit formal. Except for hostage negotiations, maybe.

nekojita · 12 Nov 2013

(人)の代わり can also be used when you do an action in place of somebody else (i.e. I will go to the meeting instead of him). In this case it doesn't have a meaning of expecting anything in return, but it is limited in that usually the action is something that person A was going to/should be doing.

Here's a simple example from a kids book:
そこでフラピッチはおじいさんの代わりに牛乳を運んであげることにしました。
(In this case it is the おじいさん's job to deliver milk and フラピッチ is therefore performing this action on his behalf).

Toritoribe · 12 Nov 2013

wkz said:
Lit. "[You] give me help with my homework, in return I lend you the album" ?
I don't think this kind of sentence will be appropriate in any language when the situation is even a bit formal. Except for hostage negotiations, maybe.

That sentence is a description of what the subject does, not a words actually said to the addressee. In spoken langage with close friends, 宿題手伝ってくれたら、かわりにこのアルバム貸してあげる。, 宿題手伝うかわりに、そのアルバム貸してくれない？ or something like that is used.

Offer to do something for someone

wkz

後輩

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

wkz

後輩

Morphling

先輩

wkz

後輩

Morphling

先輩

wkz

後輩

nekojita

先輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

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