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As in the title, how can I say "I don't deserve your present" in Japanese? Google translate tells me it's あなたのプレゼントに値しません。First off, the verb doesn't seem to be correct. Secondly, can I use を instead of に here to get あなたのプレゼントを値しません？

If memory serves me right, I have heard "僕にはプレゼントをもらう権利がない", which translates to "I don't have the rights to receive the present", but that sounds a bit different than I don't deserve your present.

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  • Good question, IMO there’s no direct equivalent in Japanese and you often need to just stay something different, or use a word choice that sounds more stilted than the English. – Darius Jahandarie Feb 25 '20 at 14:06
  • @DariusJahandarie Thanks for the info. I suppose using あなたのプレゼントに値しません would still get the meaning across? – Newbie Feb 25 '20 at 14:14
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あなたのプレゼントに値しません。... can I use を instead of に here to get あなたのプレゼントを値しません？

～に[値]{あたい}しない means "doesn't deserve~~", and あなたのプレゼントに値しません is the literal translation of "don't deserve your present". プレゼントを値しない is grammatically incorrect.

Saying あなたのプレゼントに値しません in your situation would be pretty unnatural, and also sound like you're refusing the present.

I don't deserve your present.

To mean that, I think you could say...

私にはもったいないです。/
私にはもったいないくらいです。

(closer to "It's (almost) too good for me.")

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  • Wouldn't the literal translation (あなたのプレゼントに値しません) be better compared to 私にはもったいないです? Or is it just weird for japanese to put it in literal translation? – Newbie Feb 25 '20 at 14:47
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    あなたのプレゼントに値しません would be pretty unnatural and weird, I'm afraid. – Chocolate♦ Feb 25 '20 at 14:53
  • Thanks. But I'd assume it'd still get the message accross? albeit in a very weird way – Newbie Feb 25 '20 at 14:54
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    If you said あなたのプレゼントに値しません or 僕にはプレゼントをもらう権利がない, you'd be understood as refusing/declining to accept the present. – Chocolate♦ Feb 25 '20 at 14:58
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    @Newbie I think you could literally understand “~に値しない” as “I don’t have the value for ~”, which can in some cases be used to translate “deserve” but often is awkward. In this case it sounds way too heavy (as receiving a present doesn’t really have to do with someone’s value seriously). – Darius Jahandarie Feb 25 '20 at 15:09

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