JLPT N4 · Verb forms
ていく (te iku)
~ていく — “go on ~ing / from now on”
In short · Attach いく to the te-form to show an action or change continuing from now into the future, or moving away from the speaker: 勉強していく, 増えていく.
Pattern
-
動詞て形+いくVerb te-form + いく (勉強していく)
Continuing into the future
これからも日本語を勉強していきます means you will continue from now on. It also marks change: 増えていく, 変わっていく.
ていく versus てくる
ていく is change from now toward the future; てくる is change from the past up to now (寒くなってきた). Learn them as a pair.
Examples
-
これからも日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)していきます。
Kore kara mo Nihongo o benkyō shite ikimasu.
I will keep studying Japanese from now on.
-
これから毎朝(まいあさ)早(はや)く起(お)きていくつもりです。
Korekara maiasa hayaku okite iku tsumori desu.
From now on I plan to keep getting up early every morning.
-
この町(まち)の人口(じんこう)はこれからも増(ふ)えていくでしょう。
Kono machi no jinkō wa korekara mo fuete iku deshō.
This town's population will probably keep increasing from now on.
Common mistakes
- For change from the past up to now, use てくる.
- As an auxiliary it is usually written in kana: いく.
More grammar points
- 意向形(いこうけい) Volitional form (意向形) — “let's ~ / I will ~”
- ことができる ~ことができる — “can ~ / be able to ~”
- られる ~られる — potential form (can ~)
- させられる ~させられる — causative-passive (“be made to ~”)
- させる ~させる — causative (“make / let someone ~”)
- たがる ~たがる — a third person “wants to ~”
- てあげる ~てあげる — “do ~ for someone”
- てほしい ~てほしい — “I want you to ~”
- ていた ~ていた — “was ~ing” (past continuous)
- てくれる ~てくれる — “someone does ~ for me”
- てくる ~てくる — “go and come back / become / start to ~”
- てみる ~てみる — “try ~ing”
- てもらう ~てもらう — “have / get someone to ~”
- ておく ~ておく — “do ~ in advance”
- てしまう / ちゃう ~てしまう / ~ちゃう — completion or regret
- てやる ~てやる — “do ~ for” (casual, to someone below)
- 受身形(うけみけい) Passive form (受身形) — be ~ed
- 間(あいだ) 間 — “during ~ / while ~ / between ~”
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.