# my/your present (from/for)



## Nino83

Hello everyone.

In English, Italian, even if _my/your present_ is ambiguous, they are the most used and context makes the difference.

1) I receive more presents, so I ask to a friend of mine: _is this *your* present?_ (is this the present *you* bought *for me*?)
2) I bought some presents for more persons, so I tell to a friend of mine: _this is *your* present _(this is the present *I* bought *for you*)

I'd like to ask you if, in everyday speech, in these contexts, you specify who bought the present for whom, using a postposition, or if you use only the possessive.

1) これはあなた*からの*プレゼントですか。 or これはあなた*の*プレゼントですか。?
2) これはあなた*への*プレゼント（です）。  or これはあなた*の*プレゼント（です）。?

(We can use also "this is *for* you", "questo è *per* te", _kore wa_ _anata e no_, or "questo è *da parte mia*", _kore wa watashi kara no_, but the genitive is the most common).  

For the English usage: "My/Your" present?


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## frequency

Nino83 said:


> 1) これはあなた*からの*プレゼントですか。
> 2) これはあなた*への*プレゼント（です）。


Yes, perfect. I have nothing more to say. It's the same way as we do in English and Italian.



Nino83 said:


> これはあなた*の*プレゼントですか。?
> これはあなた*の*プレゼント（です）。?


They're ambiguous, so I think we might unconsciously avoid to say these ones.

You're responsible for collecting presents from people in your office. But you can't find my (frequency's) present!
You pick up any one and ask me, これはあなたのプレゼントですか？This usage is okay.


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## Nino83

Arigatō, frequency!


frequency said:


> You pick up any one and ask me, これはあなたのプレゼントですか？This usage is okay.


Good.
And in the following contexts, which is the most common?
Your present is beautiful (the present you gave me). あなたのプレゼントはとてもきれいです。 or  あなたからのプレゼントはとてもきれいです。?
Her present is very expensive (the present I bought for her is very expensive). 彼女のプレゼントはとても高い（です）。 or  彼女へのプレゼントはとても高い（です）。?


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## 810senior

Both would make sense grammatically but none of them sound that good like the translation examples of language-learning textbooks.

Anyway, to try translating them:
１．あなたがくれたプレゼント（or simply あなたのプレゼント）は素敵です。
２．私が彼女に買ってあげたプレゼントはとても高価なものです。


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## frequency

Oh Nino, well,
You say "it's beautiful"―you saw it. Then you know or you've already realised that the person gave you the present. So "the direction" (from) isn't very necessary. So,


> あなたのプレゼントはとてもきれい（です）。


 This is okay. but


> あなたからのプレゼントはとてもきれい（です）。


 this is okay, too.
I mean that, in a flow, if the word "present" appears for the first time, showing "the direction" (present from/for _sb_) would be better. Roughly understandable?



Nino83 said:


> 彼女のプレゼントはとても高い（です）。 or 彼女へのプレゼントはとても高い（です）。


Interesting examples. In the first one, the present from her (to you) is expensive one. In the second, it is the other way around. The present for her costs a lot.


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## Nino83

frequency said:


> the word "present" appears for the first time, showing "the direction" (present from/for _sb_) would be better.


Ok, got it! 


frequency said:


> In the first one, the present from her (to you) is expensive one. In the second, it is the other way around.


Good. Also in Italian (and probably in English too) when it is not clear, the only possessive adjective tends to be understood as _from/kara_.


810senior said:


> none of them sound that good like the translation examples of language-learning textbooks


I'm interested in those examples. How would you translate them in a more natural/idiomatic way?


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## 810senior

Nino83 said:


> I'm interested in those examples. How would you translate them in a more natural/idiomatic way?


I tried it out on my previous post though it's unsure if it's more natural or anything.


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## Nino83

Thank you!


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## frequency

Nino83 said:


> 彼女へのプレゼントはとても高い（です）。


We have many ways to say this. 彼女へのプレゼントはとても高くついた。彼女へのプレゼントはとても金がかかった。(They're a bit slangy.)


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## Nino83

frequency said:


> 彼女へのプレゼントはとても高くついた。彼女へのプレゼントはとても金がかかった。


Interesting. Thanks!


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