Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Expresses an action or state that is happening or has happened with a connection to the present, either indicating movement towards the speaker or a change/continuation starting in the past.
🎯 Primary Function
1. Indicates movement towards the speaker while performing an action. 2. Describes a change or state that has continued or developed up to the present moment.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb て-form + くる (kuru)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal contexts, often with polite verb forms (~てきます).
Informal Situations
Very commonly used in casual conversation.
Written Language
Appears in both, but more frequent in narrative writing or dialogue.
Spoken Language
Very common and natural in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Action while moving towards the speaker.
Used to describe an action that is done concurrently with the movement towards the location of the speaker or the viewpoint.
Example: 友達が走ってきました。(Tomodachi ga hashitte kimashita.) – My friend came running here.
Change or continuation up to the present.
Used to indicate that a state has changed or an action has continued from a past point up to the current moment.
Example: だんだん日本語がわかってきました。(Dandan Nihongo ga wakatte kimashita.) – Gradually, I’ve come to understand Japanese.
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Frequency
High frequency in daily conversation.
Difficulty
Medium (due to multiple meanings).
Example Sentences
母がおいしいケーキを持ってきてくれた。
My mother brought a delicious cake for me.
最近、寒くなってきましたね。
It has become cold recently, hasn’t it?
昔からこの村に住んできました。
I have been living in this village since long ago.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Multiple meanings.
Be aware that ~てくる has different uses (motion vs. change/continuation).
Example: 友達が来る (Friend is coming – simple motion) vs. 友達が元気がなくなってきた (My friend has become less energetic – change).
Directionality (Motion meaning).
In the motion sense, it implies coming *towards* the speaker or a reference point.
Example: 学校から帰ってきた。(Gakkou kara kaette kita.) – I came back from school (towards home/speaker’s location).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Confusing ~てくる with ~ていく.
✅ ~てくる indicates movement *towards* the speaker/present, ~ていく indicates movement *away* from the speaker/into the future.
部屋を出ていく (leaving the room – moving away), 部屋に入ってくる (entering the room – moving towards).
❌ Using ~てくる for a single, instantaneous past action without motion or continuation.
✅ Use the simple past tense (~た form) instead.
If you just want to say “I bought a book yesterday,” you say 昨日、本を買いました。(Kinou, hon o kaimashita.), not 買ってきました (unless you mean “went, bought, and came back”).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. The politeness is determined by the form of くる (e.g., きます vs. くる).
Social Situations: Used widely in various social contexts.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese.
🔍 Subtle Differences
~てくる vs. ~ていく
~てくる is ‘come’ or ‘become up to now’; ~ていく is ‘go’ or ‘go on from now’.
When to use: Use ~てくる when the action/change moves towards the speaker or present. Use ~ていく when it moves away or into the future.
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📝 Conjugation Notes
Attaches to the て-form of verbs.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced naturally as part of the verb phrase.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of くる (kuru) as “coming” – bringing the action or state to where you are now (the present).
Practice Exercises
彼女は手紙を( )。 (She ____ a letter.) Choose the correct form for “brought”.
A. 持っていった
B. 持ってきた
C. 持っていた
D. 持ってくる
夏から( )。(It has become warmer since summer.) Choose the correct ending for “warmer”.
A. 暖かくなっただろう
B. 暖かくなってくる
C. 暖かくなってきた
D. 暖かくなっていく
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