Structure
Verb[て]+ くる
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Standard
About てくる
This grammar point is a combination of the conjunction particle て, and the verb 来る '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.
Synonyms
Examples
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すぐ帰ってくるね?
You will come back home soon, right? (Literally - Return and come)
お金がなくなってきた。
I have started to lose money. (has become)
トイレに行ってきます。
I will go to the bathroom and come back.
お母さんに似てきたね。
You have come to look like your mother.
お弁当を持ってきてください。
Please bring a bento with you. (hold and come)
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Difference between -ていく and -てくる
JStackExchange
How to use 〜ていく + 〜てくる
MaggieSensei
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みんなの日本語 II
Page 114 [CH 43]
Tobira
Page 70
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 2 & 221
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 121
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 75
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てくる – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (47 in total)
severian
なった would be “become”, but the sentence is wanting “came to be”.
I finally became good at Japanese.
vs
I finally came to be good at Japanese.Marcus
Thank you so much @severian !
But, oh, blimey, my English is getting worse and worse, let alone learning Japanese! I can’t see any difference between those two sentences in terms of meaning!
Let me go away and think about that one, because I just don’t feel like I have the brain-power right now! Thanks again so much!
othesius
If I wanted to express a negative (i.e. something did not occur) would I use the negative て form or negative of くる?
For example:
昨日雪が降りすぎたので、家を出なくてきた。
Because it snowed so much yesterday, I was unable to leave the house. (Perhaps this isn’t even an acceptable usage of the grammar structure)I don’t see examples of negatives used in the lesson.
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