Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 8/18

～てくる To come to, To become, To continue, To be starting to, Has been ~ing

Structure

Verb［て］+ くる

Details

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About てくる

This grammar point is a combination of the conjunction particle て, and the verb 来(く)る 'to come'. To use this grammar point, you will need to attach て to any verb, and then follow it with くる. This nuance is usually that '(A) happened, and then came', or 'will happen, and then come'. In other words, it will depend on whether くる is in present, or past tense.

てくる can be used when representing time, or when representing a physical place. When representing a physical place, it is more likely that the kanji structure, 来(く)る will be used. However, this is not a set rule, and depends on the writer.

When used in relation to time, the nuance is usually that something has already come to pass, or will start to happen from now.

This is the opposite of ていく, which indicates that something will change from the way that it is now, or will continue progressing in a certain way.

Fun Fact

When compared to English, てくる is very similar to the phrase 'to have come to (A)', in relation to time. This means that it focuses on the fact that the speaker will 'become (A)', should things continue in a specific way. In practice though, it is used like 'gotten' in most situations.

Related

Examples

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    すぐ帰(かえ)ってくるね？

    You will come back home soon, right? (Literally - Return and come)

    お金(かね)がなくなってきた。

    I have started to lose money. (has become)

    トイレに行(い)ってきます。

    I will go to the bathroom and come back.

    お母(かあ)さんに似(に)てきたね。

    You have come to look like your mother.

    お弁当(べんとう)を持(も)ってきてください。

    Please bring a bento with you. (hold and come)

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てくる – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (52 in total)

  • Roppo

    Roppo

    Thanks!

    Do you mean the added nuance of と言っていた is there compared to と言った?
    And yeah there indeed isn’t a great deal of nuance difference in English either way but I thought I’d ask for accuracy’s sake.
    Thanks for clarifying things!

  • Uplifted2472

    Uplifted2472

    This graphic is insanely helpful. I was pulling my hair out over ていく and てくる before I saw this. Now it makes so much sense. The short translations under the grammar point in Bunpro associated both with “start” which…

  • Kelsy

    Kelsy

    Having trouble understanding this one sentence, wanting to make sure I understand correctly.

    朝から家の掃除をしているので、家が綺麗になってきています。Since I’ve been cleaning the house from this morning, the house is becoming cleaner.

    Am I right that thinking 家が綺麗になってきました。would be “the house became cleaner” and 家が綺麗になってきます。would be “the house becomes clean”? Does that last one even make sense?

    I am trying to understand what nuance the additional ている lends here in the original sentence.

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