Structure
Verb[て]+ くる
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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.
When used in relation to time, the nuance is usually that something has already come to pass, or will start to happen from now.
- 今日も宿題を持ってくるのを忘れた。I forgot to bring my homework today too. (To 'come with' homework was forgotten)
- パパ〜、じゃが芋を買ってきたよ!Dad, I bought the potatoes. (Bought and 'came with')
When used in relation to time, the nuance is usually that something has already come to pass, or will start to happen from now.
- 最近、日本語が上手くなってきた感じがする。Recently I feel like I have come to be better at Japanese. (Very similar to 'gotten' in English)
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
すぐ帰ってくるね?
You will come back home soon, right? (Literally - Return and come)
お弁当を持ってきてください。
Please bring a bento when you come.
トイレに行ってきます。
I will go to the bathroom and come back.
私はアメリカに帰ってから、どんどん太ってきた。
Since coming back to America, I have quickly come to be fatter.
お母さんに似てきたね。
You have come to look like your mother.
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Difference between -ていく and -てくる
JStackExchange
How to use 〜ていく + 〜てくる
MaggieSensei
Offline
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
About 1 year ago
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
About 1 year ago
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
About 2 months ago
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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