くれる: A verb of volition?


In [this answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/61821/25859), user4092
raised the aspect of _volition_ when using giving-and-receiving verbs. Curious
to learn more, I did some research and found the following article:

<https://www.imabi.net/tegivingverbs.htm>

In this blog post, the author states (emphasis mine):

> A huge thing to understand is that **「くれる」is a verb of non-volition**.
> Although we haven’t studied the following items, for future reference, they
> must never be used with it: つもりだ, Volitional form, たい. だめですよ！
>
> From this it may seem odd that there is a command form of くれる. However,
> 「A＋くれ」 unlike the command form of a verb of volition like 貸せ, 取れ, etc., it
> shows not a request for the listener to obey but a request in which the
> listener will make the decision as to whether to comply or not.

Later on, the author also states (emphasis mine):

> As you should have figured out by now, **もらう, unlike くれる, is a verb of
> volition**.

I tried looking for more information on this topic, but I couldn't find a
conclusive answer to back up the statements in this blog post.

I understand that もらう represents the volition of the speaker (who is "having"
somebody do something), but doesn't くれる also often represent an action that
somebody else is doing ("for you") of their own will (ie. volition)?

I also don't understand the wand-waving about くれ. How could it _not_ be a
request for the listener to obey? That verb form is literally called 命令形!

...

In conclusion: Does this blog post correctly describe the volitional/non-
volitional nature of these giving-and-receiving verbs? Is it true that くれる is
a verb of non-volition? Is it true that くれ is "not a request for the listener
to obey"?




Yes, くれる is a non-volitional verb. You can judge it from the fact that it
doesn't have the potential form too.

As for the explanation that says "but a request in which the listener will
make the decision as to whether to comply or not", I'm not really sure if it
essentially differs from other imperatives besides being indirect.




According to "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar", page 13:  
A volitional sentence is one in which a person expresses his will.

Verbs like もらう and いただく automatically have the speaker (私) as the subject.  
So when the speaker wants to express his will he can use もらう or いただく.

Example:  
水をいただきたい。  
I'd like some water.

But verbs like くれる or くださる, the speaker is automatically the indirect object
(私に).  
The subject is always someone other than the speaker.

Example:  
彼は私にプレゼントをくれた。  
He gave a present to me.

くれる or くださる are not volitional because there is no way for you to know what
other people are thinking or wishing.  
You can express your own wills and wishes but not someone else's.

The same thing happens with たい.  
たい can only be used when the subject is the speaker.  
For subjects other than the speaker, you have to replace たい with たがる, because
there is no way for you to know what other people are thinking or wishing.

私は水を飲みたい。  
I want to drink water.

Wrong: 彼は水を飲みたい。  
Correct: 彼は水を飲みたがる。  
He wants to dring water.

