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.
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.
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.
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.
The beneficiary of the insurance money is my wife.
The learner wants to refer to the legal or formal recipient of assets or benefits.
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.
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.
I gave him a present.
He gave me a present.
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.