助[か/け]る and 救う

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  Medyrius July 14, 2012 at 9:57am

  I can confirm from anime listening experience that 救う is rather used for saying that one's been saved by someone... e.g あいつに救われた、とかな...
  
  But I don't think they're necessarily synonyms, they seems to hold different levels of implication for the action of saving/rescueing. 助ける is more of a general use for expressing the action of helping/saving while 救う implies the fact of rescueing someone/being rescued FROM/OUT OF a precise situation...
  
  
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  shairn July 14, 2012 at 11:20am

  Medyrius covered it. It's the same difference as "to save" and "to rescue", interestingly. The first is much broader while the second is very specific.
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  xMakoReactantx July 14, 2012 at 2:39pm

  Thanks.
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  paullewis July 16, 2012 at 9:09am

  From what I understand 救う has a more serious feeling to it, and can also be used in religious context (救われた, same as English when someone says they are 'saved'). I think 助ける is just a nice and safe general sort of term that can even be used in casual situations.
  
  Just my two cents though.
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  Akamaru012 July 21, 2012 at 9:39am

  Medyrius has it right. When you learn more about Japanese, you'll going to encounter more of these troublesome synonym words. It's part of learning.