N3 · Using the te-form
ていく, てくる: direction and change
the te-form with いく and くる
ていく points away from the speaker and on into the future; てくる points towards the speaker and up to now.
Taken literally, the te-form plus いく or くる means doing something and then going or coming: 傘を持っていくis "take an umbrella (with you)"傘を持ってくるis "bring an umbrella" English uses two verbs, "take" and "bring"; Japanese uses the same verb with a direction. ちょっと行ってくる is "I'll go and come back".
The direction is seen from the speaker. Movement away is ていく: 鳥が飛んでいった, "the bird flew off". Movement towards is てくる: 子どもが走ってきた, "the child came running up". An action aimed at the speaker by someone else often takes てくる as well: 友達が電話してきた, "a friend rang me".
The same pair describes change over time. ていく carries a change from now on into the future: これから寒くなっていきます, "it will go on getting colder". てくる covers change up to now, or the moment a change becomes noticeable: 日本語が分かってきました, "I am beginning to understand Japanese", 雨が降ってきた, "it has started to rain".
English speakers tend to translate "take" and "bring" mechanically and lose the speaker's point of view, or to reach for 始める for "start to", where てくる is often more natural. As helpers, いく and くる are written in kana; the polite forms are ていきます and てきます, past てきました.
The form
stem (regular) ending auxiliary verb
| hold → take along | 持っていく |
| hold → bring | 持ってくる |
| go → go and come back | 行ってくる |
| increase → keep increasing | 増えていく |
| fall (rain) → has started to rain | 降ってきた |
| understand → have come to understand | 分かってきました |
| run → come running | 走ってくる |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
With movement, ていく means away from the speaker and てくる towards the speaker.
明日はお弁当を持ってきてください。Please bring a packed lunch tomorrow.
てくる also means going somewhere and coming back.
ちょっと郵便局に行ってきます。I'm just popping to the post office.
With a change, てくる covers the time up to now, or the start of the change.
だんだん暖かくなってきました。It has been getting gradually warmer.
ていく carries a change or an activity from now on into the future.
これからも日本語を勉強していきます。I will keep on studying Japanese from now on.
An action aimed at the speaker by somebody else is often marked with てくる.
知らない人が話しかけてきました。A stranger started talking to me.
A closer look
いってきます and what arrives
The phrase said on leaving the house, 行ってきます, is this construction: "I go and come back". The reply, 行ってらっしゃい, is its honorific counterpart: "go and come back". Both are said every day without anyone thinking of them as grammar.
In narrative, てくる often marks something reaching the speaker's senses or feelings: いい匂いがしてきた, "a nice smell came drifting over", 涙が出てきた, "tears started to come". Nothing moves towards the speaker in space; the experience arrives.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the verb is one of appearing — 見える, 聞こえる, 出る
てくる means "come into view" or "become audible", and nobody moves at all.
窓の外に海が見えてきました。The sea came into view outside the window.
The thing stays where it is; what arrives is the perception of it.
How to spot it
- ていく
- てくる
- てきた
- ていきます
- てきました
- だんだん
- これから
- 今まで
Example sentences
雨が降ってきたから、急いで帰ろう。It's started raining, so let's hurry home.
寒いから、コートを着ていったほうがいいよ。It's cold, so you'd better wear a coat.
この町の人口は、これから減っていくでしょう。The population of this town will probably go on falling.
子どもの頃から、ずっとピアノを続けてきました。I have kept up the piano ever since I was a child.
最近、少し太ってきた。I've been putting on a bit of weight lately.
犬が私のほうに走ってきました。The dog came running towards me.
7 more example sentences
駅まで送っていきましょうか。Shall I take you to the station?
図書館で本を借りてきました。I went and borrowed a book from the library.
日本の生活にも慣れてきました。I've been getting used to life in Japan.
夜になって、星が見えてきた。Night fell and the stars came out.
技術はこれからもどんどん変わっていくだろう。Technology will no doubt go on changing rapidly.
母が荷物を送ってきました。My mother sent me a parcel.
今までいろいろな国で働いてきました。I have worked in many countries up to now.
Worth knowing (1)
-
Take and bring are one verb with a direction
English has two verbs for carrying something, depending on where it ends up. Japanese has one, 持つ, and adds the direction: 持っていく is "take", 持ってくる is "bring". The same works with people: 連れていく and 連れてくる.
今度、友達を連れてきてもいいですか。Can I bring a friend next time?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The direction is seen from the speaker. The guest is coming to where the speaker will be, so the drinks are brought: てくる. ていく would send them, and the guest, somewhere else.
ていく goes away and on into the future; てくる comes here and up to now.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.