ていく/てくる (Direction) in Japanese

Overview

The compound patterns ていく (te iku) and てくる (te kuru) combine the て-form with the motion verbs いく (to go) and くる (to come) to express both physical directional movement and, more importantly, temporal change over time. These are among the most versatile and frequently used grammar patterns in Japanese.

At the B2 level, understanding these patterns unlocks the ability to describe how situations develop over time — whether changes are moving away from the present moment (ていく) or approaching the present moment (てくる). This temporal metaphor, grounded in the physical concepts of "going" and "coming," is central to how Japanese speakers narrate change and experience.

These patterns appear in virtually every type of Japanese communication, from casual conversation about weather changes to formal presentations about market trends. Mastering the distinction between ていく and てくる is a hallmark of intermediate-to-advanced fluency.

How It Works

Formation

Pattern	Structure	Core Direction
ていく	て-form + いく	away from reference point
てくる	て-form + くる	toward reference point

Physical Movement (Literal)

Pattern	Meaning	Example
Verb + ていく	do and go (away)	持っていく (take something there)
Verb + てくる	do and come (here)	持ってくる (bring something here)

Temporal Change (Figurative)

Pattern	Meaning	Time Direction
Verb + ていく	will continue to / will gradually	present → future
Verb + てくる	has been / has gradually	past → present

Temporal Change Illustrated

Direction	Pattern	Example	Translation
Past → Now	てきた	寒くなってきた	It's gotten cold (change arrived at now)
Now → Future	ていく	寒くなっていく	It will keep getting cold (change moving away)
Past → Now	てきた	人口が増えてきた	Population has been increasing
Now → Future	ていく	人口が増えていく	Population will continue to increase

Other Uses

Use	Pattern	Example
Sudden onset	てくる	雨が降ってきた (it started raining — toward speaker)
Gradual emergence	てくる	やっと分かってきた (I'm starting to understand)
Continuing into future	ていく	これからも頑張っていく (I'll keep working hard)
Doing and returning	てくる	買ってくる (go buy and come back)

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
持って行きます。	I'll take it (there).	Physical — carrying away
持って来ました。	I brought it (here).	Physical — carrying here
寒くなってきました。	It's gotten cold.	Temporal — change reaching now
これからも勉強していきます。	I'll continue studying from now on.	Temporal — continuing forward
お弁当を買ってくるね。	I'll go buy a bento and come back.	Go-and-return action
だんだん暗くなっていく。	It's gradually getting darker.	Ongoing change into future
日本語が上手になってきましたね。	Your Japanese has gotten better!	Change reaching present
これから人口が減っていくでしょう。	The population will likely decrease from now on.	Future projection
雨が降ってきた！	It started raining!	Sudden onset toward speaker
今まで色々な国を旅行してきました。	I've traveled to various countries up to now.	Accumulated experience
疲れてきたから、休もう。	I'm getting tired, so let's rest.	Change reaching awareness
この技術はさらに発展していくだろう。	This technology will continue to develop further.	Formal future projection

Common Mistakes

Confusing the temporal direction

• Wrong: 昨日から寒くなっていきました。 (for a change you experienced arriving at now)
• Right: 昨日から寒くなってきました。
• Why: When a change has reached the present and you are experiencing it now, use てくる. ていく projects change away from the current moment into the future.

Using ていく/てくる for non-directional actions

• Wrong: 毎日ご飯を食べてきます。 (for a simple daily routine)
• Right: 毎日ご飯を食べます。
• Why: ていく/てくる requires either physical direction or temporal change. A neutral daily habit has neither. However, 毎日ご飯を食べてきた (I've been eating every day) is fine because it describes accumulated past action.

Forgetting the go-and-return meaning of てくる

• Wrong: コンビニに行って、パンを買います。 (when you mean "I'll go buy bread and come back")
• Right: コンビニでパンを買ってきます。
• Why: てくる often implies a round trip — going somewhere, doing something, and coming back. This is extremely common in daily speech.

Mixing up physical and temporal meanings

• Wrong: Interpreting 分かってきた as physical movement
• Right: Understanding it as "I've come to understand" (gradual realization)
• Why: With non-motion verbs, ていく/てくる almost always express temporal change. Only with inherently directional actions (carrying, sending, walking) does the physical meaning apply.

Usage Notes

てくる for sudden onset is very common in spoken Japanese. When something starts happening and you notice it, てくる is the natural choice: お腹が空いてきた (I'm getting hungry), 眠くなってきた (I'm getting sleepy). These express changes arriving at your awareness.

In formal speeches and presentations, ていく is frequently used for forward-looking statements: 社会に貢献していきたいと思います (I would like to continue contributing to society). This forward-projecting ていく is a staple of Japanese business and political rhetoric.

てきた for accumulated experience is extremely useful in self-introductions and resumes: 10年間、この仕事をしてきました (I've been doing this job for 10 years). It emphasizes the journey and effort leading up to the present.

The particles can change between physical and temporal uses. Physical: 持っていく (carry and go). Temporal: 増えていく (increase going forward). Notice that physical uses often have an object with を, while temporal uses describe the subject changing.

Practice Tips

• Describe the weather or seasons using both patterns. For what has already changed: 暖かくなってきた. For what will change: もっと暑くなっていく. Practicing with weather provides endless, relatable content.

• Keep a "life journey" journal entry using てきた to describe your path to the present, then use ていく to describe your plans. This naturally practices both temporal directions in a personally meaningful way.

• When watching Japanese news, listen for ていく in projections about the economy, population, or technology. News anchors use this pattern extensively, and it is excellent listening practice for the temporal usage.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: て-Form — the conjugation base required for both patterns
• Next steps: てしまう (completion/regret) — another て-form compound adding emotional nuance to actions
• Next steps: ておく (preparation) — て-form compound for advance actions