Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 1: 7/18

~ていく

To ~ and go, To go on, To start

Structure

Verb[て]+ いく

Details

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About ていく

This grammar construction is a mix of the conjunction particle , and the verb ()く 'to go'. To use this grammar point, you will need to attach to any verb, and then follow it with いく.
This nuance is usually that '(A) happened and then went', or 'will happen, and then go'. In other words, it will depend on whether いく is in present, or past tense.
  • 今日(きょう)うち()ていく
    Do you want to go and eat at my place tonight? (Literally 'will you', but comes across more as an invitation in casual Japanese)
  • 今晩(こんばん)(あめ)()()いたから(かさ)()()った
    Because I heard that it was going to rain tonight, I took an umbrella.
ていく 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, ()く 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 started/is about to start, and then will continue to progress in the same way.
  • 毎日(まいにち)ゴルフ練習(れんしゅう)たらだんだん上手(うま)くなていく
    When you practice golf everyday, you will gradually get better.
This is the opposite of てくる, which indicates that something has finally reached a certain state, after progressing in that way for some time.
Fun Fact
When compared to English, ていく is very similar to the phrase 'to go on to (A)', in relation to time. It focuses on the fact that the speaker is required to make some type of journey to arrive at a specific point. For example, 'She went on to become a doctor after university'.

Examples

  • (おお)きい(おと)(とり)()でいく

    With a loud noise, the birds will fly away.

    The birds cause a loud noise when they fly away.

  • これ先生(せんせい)()いっください。

    Please take this to the teacher.

  • 友達(ともだち)プレゼント()ていく

    I am going to buy a present and take it to my friend.

  • 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)弁当(べんとう)()()から

    It's okay! Because I will take a lunch (bento) with me.

  • 今日(きょう)テスト()けるから鉛筆(えんぴつ)()ていく

    Because I am going to take a test today, I will take a pencil.

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ていく – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (14 in total)

  • Bugg

    Bugg

    About 8 months ago

    One of the examples for this grammar point is:

    ()()()ください。

    and it is translated as

    Please eat something before you go.

    I have no idea where does before come from. Can someone explain? I can maybe explain this translation with plain て form and it’s ability to order events ( eat then go ). Is it really ていく example?

  • bilowik

    bilowik

    About 2 months ago

    So I understand most of these examples here, except for the very first one in the grammar lesson itself which seems very differently interpreted than the rest and threw me off for awhile, but maybe I’m misunderstanding some nuance of the phrase or translation:

    今日は家で食べていく? which is translated to “Do you want to go and eat at my place tonight?”

    This seems at odds with the rest of the examples since the order of actions is flipped, “go and do (A)” vs “(A) and then go” and the translation seems more akin to: 今日は家で食べ行く? since verb + に行く is usually understood as “to go and do (A).” right?

  • slowflo

    slowflo

    About 10 days ago

    I had the same problem with the first example but I found an answer there : 行く・来る: Japanese Verbs for "Go" and "Come"

    "Japanese :
    夕飯、食べていく?
    English :
    Would you like to have supper here?
    (Literally: Are you going to eat supper and then go?)

    If you look at the literal meaning, it may seem a strange way of asking the question. However, by adding 行く, your friend’s mother can show she is aware that you have to leave at some point. It’s a small additional nuance, but now the question can ask if you are willing to eat dinner while you are still at their place."

    So I think the example is more “do you want to eat and then go (to your home) ?”

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