How to tell them apart
The core contrast is the direction of change relative to the speaker's viewpoint. ていく describes a change that starts now and continues forward into the future, while てくる describes a change that has been happening up to now and is reaching the present moment. Swapping them shifts the timeline: 寒くなっていく means it will keep getting colder from now on, whereas 寒くなってきた means it has already been getting colder up to now.
- 行く・いく Use ていく when a change or action starts now and continues into the future.
- 来る・くる Use てくる when a change has been unfolding up to the present moment.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| 行く・いく ku iku | Keep on; proceed onward; go (to a place) | N3 |
| 来る・くる ru kuru | Arrive or head toward the speaker; begin to, come to be | N3 |
行く・いく ku iku
Keep on; proceed onward; go (to a place)
行く (often written いく) means to go somewhere, and when attached to the verb stem or used as ていく after a te-form it shows an action or change continuing into the future, as in 変わっていく. It also appears in plain sentences simply meaning to go to a place.
-
下着を買いに行くんだよ。お前、まだノーパンだろうが。
We're going to buy underwear. You're still not wearing underpants, are you?
-
私たちがそこへ行くかどうかを決めるのは君の責任だ。
It is up to you to decide whether we will go there or not.
来る・くる ru kuru
Arrive or head toward the speaker; begin to, come to be
来る is the verb "to come," used both literally for someone or something coming and in the pattern ～てくる to describe a change or state that starts and develops, as in 老してくる (growing old). It follows the te-form of a verb for that usage, and appears in set phrases like 来る日も来る日も (day after day).
-
来る日も来る日もその犬は主人を迎えに駅へ行った。
Day in, day out the dog went to the station to wait for its master.
-
戻ってくると彼は、「すてきな旅でした」と言った。
He said on his return, "It has been a wonderful tour."
行く・いく and 来る・くる are both JLPT N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.