How is プレゼントしてくれた different from プレゼントした?


あなたがプレゼントしてくれたカバン、今でも大切にしているよ。

あなたがプレゼントしたカバン、今でも大切にしているよ。

I can't understand why してくれた is the right form to say _the bag you gave me as
a present_ in the past tense.




> 1) あなたがプレゼント **してくれ** たカバン、今{いま}でも大切{たいせつ}にしているよ。
>
> 2) あなたがプレゼント **した** カバン、今でも大切にしているよ。

Both sentences are grammatical, but they mean **_completely_** different
things. I am sure many other users here will thank you for asking this
question because this is an extremely common mistake among Japanese-learners.

Present- **giver** :

1) the listener （あなた）

2) the listener （あなた）

Present- **receiver** :

1) the speaker (unmentioned) -- "me"

2) **a third person** (unmentioned) -- "Bob", "Mr. Takahashi", etc.

「くれる」 expresses an action being performed for (the benefit of) the
**_speaker_** and not for anyone else. The English equivalent of this would be
"doing something for/to me".

Thus, the two sentences mean:

> 1) I still treasure the bag that you gave me as a present.
>
> 2) (Someone) still treasures the bag that you gave (him/her) as a present.

Strictly speaking, however, it would be more natural to say 2) as:

> あなたがプレゼント **してあげた** カバン、今でも大切にしているよ。

Unlike 「くれる」, 「あげる」 expresses an action being performed for a **_person other
than the speaker_**.

