ていく — As Time Goes On / Going Away Doing
Expresses an action or change moving AWAY from the present point — in space (departing, going off doing something) or in time (a gradual change continuing into the future).
Structure
[Verb te-form] + いく
Examples
少しずつ日本語が上手になっていく。
Sukoshi zutsu nihongo ga jouzu ni natte iku.
My Japanese will gradually get better (going forward).
なって + いく = becoming, the change heading away from now into the future
彼は手を振りながら去っていった。
Kare wa te o furinagara satte itta.
He waved and walked away.
去って + いった = went off (physical movement away from the speaker)
これから物の値段が上がっていくと思います。
Kore kara mono no nedan ga agatte iku to omoimasu.
I think prices will keep going up from now on.
上がって + いく = rising, the change heading away from now into the future
• Key Concept: ていく (movement/change away, toward the future) vs てくる (movement/change toward, up to now): 寒くなっていく (it will keep getting colder from now on) vs 寒くなってきた (it has been getting colder up to now).
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ていく is tested against.
vs てくる
てくる draws the movement or change TOWARD the present (up to now); ていく sends it AWAY from the present, on into the future.
More verb forms
- てくる — Come Doing / Has Been Doing (Toward Now)
- てみる — Try Doing (and See)
- Potential Form — Can / Be Able To (Verbs)
- がる／がっている — Describing Others' Feelings
- 〜出す (だす) — Abrupt Eruptions
- 〜始める (はじめる) — Intentional Beginnings
- 意向形 (いこうけい) — Volitional Form (Let's / I'll)
- くする / にする — Make something become (a quality)
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