〇〇さんにプレゼントをもらいました。 〇〇さんからプレゼントをもらいました。

I feel it is more natural to use particle に, but I'm not a native speaker. Can
someone please help me out on this? Both these options are listed in the
current text I'm using to teach my students, but I want to be able to explain
in further detail. I also wish to advise them of the difference between the
use of the two and which is more common.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-16T12:54:33.047
11725
2013-04-18T14:54:22.740
3377
question
particles
Which particle is better に or から?
If に marks the source of something then it can be replaced by から, eg：

> 父にもらいました｜I received it from my father.
>
> だれに聞きましたか。｜Who told you?

If に marks an agent then it cannot. eg:

> 僕はアメリカ人に英語を教えてもらいました。｜I had an American teach me English.
>
> (兄は私に五時間も運転させました。｜My older brother made me drive for 5 hours.)

Also, に＝>psychological closeness to the human source so sometimes から has be
used, eg:

> ビルさんは[文科省]{もんかしょう}から／に＊[奨学金]{しょうがくきん}をもらいました |
>
> Bill received a scholarship from the Ministry of Education.

In your example either is fine.

_Reference: Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar - ni(3)_
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-16T14:23:50.650
11726
2013-04-18T14:54:22.740
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
1556
11725
answer
I don't think that native Japanese distinguish both ～に…をもらった and ～から…をもらった.
Untill I read your question have I never thought about this. Japanese use both
and the two are completely natural. I myself might prefer ～から…をもらった.

When we ask a hearer, for example, whom he/she got money from, we use both
だれからもらったの and だれにもらったの. There is no difference between both sentences.

I am learning English. As a learner I think this way: If there are two words
having approximately same usage, I would like our teacher to tell us that both
of them can be used. That would bring us to the use of foreign languages
without worrying about mistakes. I'm sorry I sound so selfish.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-18T13:18:32.117
11739
2013-04-18T13:18:32.117
3378
11725
answer