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JLPT N4Verb Forms

てくる— Come Doing / Has Been Doing (Toward Now)

Expresses an action or change moving TOWARD the present point — in space (coming/arriving, going and coming back) or in time (a gradual change that has built up until now).

Grammar path · 練習

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Pro lessonUNIT 73 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

[Verb te-form] + くる

Examples · 例文

  • 最近、寒くなってきた。

    Saikin, samuku natte kita.

    It's gotten cold lately (up to now).

    なって + きた = has become — change built up from the past toward now

  • コーヒーを買ってきます。

    Koohii o katte kimasu.

    I'll go buy coffee and come back.

    買って + きます = go, buy, and return (physical movement back toward here)

  • 駅の前に新しい店が増えてきました。

    Eki no mae ni atarashii mise ga fuete kimashita.

    New shops have been increasing in front of the station (up to now).

    増えて + きました = have increased — change built up from the past toward now

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: てくる (toward now / from past up to present) vs ていく (away / from now into the future): 日本語が上手になってきた (has been improving up to now) vs なっていく (will keep improving from here).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones てくる is tested against.

vsていく

ていく sends the movement/change AWAY from now into the future; てくる brings it TOWARD the present (up to now).

More verb forms

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