～つつある — In the Process of Changing
Attaches to a verb stem to express that an action or change is steadily and continuously progressing toward completion. It captures a gradual shift over time (recovering, increasing, disappearing) and feels more formal and written than the everyday ～ている. Used mainly for changes in state, not one-off actions.
Structure
[Verb ます-stem] + つつある
Examples
日本の人口は減りつつある。
Nihon no jinkou wa heritsutsu aru.
Japan's population is steadily declining.
減り (ます-stem of 減る, decrease) + つつある = a gradual, ongoing change
祖父の体調は少しずつ回復しつつあります。
Sofu no taichou wa sukoshi zutsu kaifuku shitsutsu arimasu.
My grandfather's condition is gradually recovering.
回復し (stem of 回復する) + つつあります shows a slow but continuous improvement
古い習慣は消えつつある。
Furui shuukan wa kietsutsu aru.
Old customs are gradually disappearing.
消え (stem of 消える) + つつある = the process of fading is underway
• Register: formal / written; common in news and academic writing. • Only works with verbs of change or progression, not with instantaneous or purely stative verbs. • Emphasizes the direction of an ongoing change more than ～ている does.
Commonly confused with
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～つつある is tested against.
vs ～ている
～ている simply states an action is ongoing; ～つつある stresses a gradual movement toward completion and is more formal.
vs ～つつ(も)
～つつ(も) means 'while / even though' (two simultaneous actions or concession); ～つつある means 'is in the process of changing'.
More formal expressions
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