届く vs 届ける
JLPT N4 vocabulary · what is the difference?
届く (とどく) means something arrives at its destination by itself and takes が: 荷物が届きました, the package arrived. 届ける (とどける) means a person takes something to someone, and it takes を: 荷物を届けます, I'll deliver the package. The English "be delivered" sounds passive, but 届く is simply the intransitive partner — が for the arrival, を when someone carries it.
When to use each
届く
とどく
Use 届く when a letter, parcel or message arrives. The thing arriving takes が and the recipient takes に. It also means "to reach" physically, as in 手が届く.
昨日、手紙が届きました。
きのう、てがみがとどきました。
A letter arrived yesterday.
注文した本がまだ届いていません。
ちゅうもんしたほんがまだとどいていません。
The book I ordered hasn't arrived yet.
届ける
とどける
Use 届ける when a person takes something to where it should go — a courier delivering, you dropping something round to a friend, or handing in something you found. The thing takes を and the destination takes に or まで.
この荷物を家まで届けてください。
このにもつをいえまでとどけてください。
Please deliver this package to the house.
駅で拾った財布を交番に届けました。
えきでひろったさいふをこうばんにとどけました。
I turned in the wallet I found at the station to the police box.
Sentences where only one works
荷物が届きました。
にもつがとどきました。
The package arrived.
が — you are reporting that it got here. Who carried it is not part of the sentence.
荷物を届けました。
にもつをとどけました。
I delivered the package.
Same package, but を means you took it there, so the verb becomes 届ける.
友だちにケーキを届けます。
ともだちにケーキをとどけます。
I'll take the cake round to my friend.
ケーキ takes を and you do the carrying, so 届ける. 届きます would mean the cake arrives on its own.
上の棚に手が届きません。
うえのたなにてがとどきません。
I can't reach the top shelf.
手が届く, "one's hand reaches", is a common idiom built on the intransitive verb. 手を届ける is not said.
Common mistakes
手紙を届きました。 (meaning "a letter arrived")
手紙が届きました。
届く cannot take an を object. The letter is the subject that arrived, so it takes が.
荷物が届けました。 (meaning "I delivered the package")
荷物を届けました。
With a doer, the package takes を and the verb is 届ける. が with 届ける is ungrammatical.
メールを届けました。 (meaning "I sent you an email")
メールを送りました。
届ける is about taking something to a place. For sending mail or email use 送る, though メールが届く is fine for the mail arriving.
Frequently asked questions
Why does 届く translate as "be delivered" if it isn't passive?
Japanese simply has a separate verb for the arriving event. 届く is intransitive, like 開く or 落ちる, and takes が. The passive 届けられる exists, but you rarely need it — 届きました is the natural way to say something arrived.
Which one do I use for a parcel I'm waiting on?
届く: 荷物はいつ届きますか, when will the package arrive? You would only use 届ける if you were asking about someone delivering it, as in いつ届けてくれますか.
What does 交番に届ける mean?
It means handing something you found in to a police box. 届ける covers taking a lost item to where it belongs, not just courier deliveries.