給たまう

た

ま

う

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

給う · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	給たまう	給たまわない
Polite	給たまいます	給たまいません
Past polite	給たまいました	給たまいませんでした
Past	給たまった	給たまわなかった
Te-form	給たまって	給たまわないで
Desire	給たまいたい	給たまいたくない
Potential	給たまえる	給たまえない
Passive	給たまわれる	給たまわれない
Causative	給たまわせる	給たまわせない
Causative passive	給たまわせられるalso 給たまわされる	給たまわせられないalso 給たまわされない
Volitional	給たまおう
Polite volitional	給たまいましょう
Imperative	給たまえ	給たまうな
Conditional	給たまえば	給たまわなければ
Tara conditional	給たまったら	給たまわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

give; bestow; grant

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Honorific verb used when a superior or respected person gives something to the speaker or to someone of lower status. Formal and somewhat old-fashioned; in modern Japanese, くださる is more common.

神かみが我われらに恵めぐみを給たまう。
God bestows grace upon us.
陛へい下かよりお言こと葉ばを給たもうた。
We received words from His Majesty.

suffix, godan verb (-u)

please do ...; kindly do ...

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Honorific suffix attached to the -masu stem of a verb to form a polite request or command. Archaic and literary; in modern Japanese, ～てください or ～たまえ (from 給え) are used instead. The cross-reference 給え is the imperative form.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が〈物もの〉を給たまうfor a revered or superior figure to bestow something
神かみが人ひと々びとに恵めぐみを給たまう。
God bestows blessings upon the people.
〈動どう詞し〉給たまえarchaic, literary suffix forming a formal or dignified command ('please do ...')
許ゆるし給たまえ。
Please forgive me.

Kanji

給salary, wage, gift
賜grant, gift, boon

Related words

下くださるN4sense 1
くださる is the modern standard honorific verb for 'give'; 給う is a much more formal, archaic literary equivalent rarely used in everyday speech.
くださいN5sense 2
ください is the modern, standard way to make a polite request; the suffix 給う (as in its imperative form 給え) serves the same function but sounds archaic and literary.

Politeness

くれるplainN5sense 1
給う is the archaic honorific form used when a superior or revered figure gives something; くれる is the plain, everyday verb for the same act of giving to the speaker.

Written forms

給たまうUsage48%
Standard kanji spelling for the honorific verb and suffix.
たまうUsage46%
賜たまうUsage6%
Alternate kanji form, less common and somewhat archaic in feel.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese honorific verb たまふ (tamau). The kanji 給 and 賜 both carry meanings of giving or bestowing, with 賜 implying a more gracious or imperial bestowal.