When a verb takes the て-form and is followed by another verb, the second verb is called an auxiliary verb (補助動詞) — it no longer keeps its original meaning but instead adds a "special effect" to the preceding action.
1. てある: A Resultant State Caused Deliberately
While ている expresses "ongoing state," てある emphasizes that someone intentionally did something, and the result remains:
| Comparison | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 窓が閉まっている。 | The window is closed. (Simply describing a state) |
| 窓が閉めてある。 | The window has been closed (by someone). (Someone deliberately closed it) |
Two core features of てある:
- Only attaches to transitive verbs (because someone needs to have "done" it)
- Emphasizes intentionality — it didn't happen naturally; it was done in advance
お金は払ってあるから、持ち帰ってもいい。 The bill has already been paid, so you can take it to go.
Special case — when an intransitive verb takes てある, there must be a clear purpose:
昼間寝てある。 I slept during the day. (In preparation for staying up late tonight)
2. ておく: Four Usages
ておく is written in kanji as 「置く」 — to place. The core idea is "do something and leave it there":
| Usage | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Do in advance | 窓を閉めておく。 Close the window ahead of time. |
| Leaving as is | Leave it alone | そのままにしておく。 Leave it as it is. |
| Temporary placement | Handle for now | ここに置いておきましょう。 Let's put it here for now. |
| Disposal | Deal with it | 頭髪を乱したままにしておく。 Leave the hair messy as it is. |
ておく must attach to volitional verbs — you can't "deliberately" make involuntary things happen. So 死んでおく ✗ doesn't work.
In spoken Japanese, ておく often contracts to とく: 閉めておく → 閉めとく.
3. てみる: Give It a Try
てみる comes from 「見る」(to see), but as an auxiliary verb it means "try doing something to see what happens":
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| このくつをはいてみてください。 | Please try on these shoes. |
| 今度こそ合格してみせる。 | This time I'll definitely pass — I'll show you. |
てみせる = do it and show you (expressing determination) — different from てみる (give it a try).
Note: In modern Japanese, てみると often just means "upon doing, I discovered..." without the "trying" nuance:
調べてみると、その人の名前はなかった。 When I looked it up, that person's name wasn't there.
4. てしまう: Completion + Regret
てしまう has two faces:
A. Thorough completion of an action
おいしいものを全部食べてしまった。 I ate up all the tasty food.
B. Accidental / regrettable / helpless
山田さんが先に合格してしまった。 Yamada passed before me. (How frustrating)
Distinguish by context:
- Emphasizing "finished doing" → completion
- With a sense of reluctance / surprise / regret → regret
In spoken Japanese, てしまう contracts to ちゃう (ちまう): 食べてしまった → 食べちゃった.
5. ていく: From Now Into the Future
ていく expresses "moving away / receding" in both space and time:
| Usage | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial | Go off doing | 走っていく。 Ran off. |
| Temporal | Change from now into the future | これから寒くなっていくでしょう。 It will probably get colder from now on. |
| Disappearing | From existence to non-existence | 死んでいく。 Gradually dying off. |
これから覚えていかなければならないことがたくさんあります。 There are many things I must memorize from now on.
6. てくる: From the Past to Now
てくる is the opposite of ていく — it expresses "approaching / arriving":
| Usage | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial | Come doing | 雨が降ってきた。 It started raining. |
| Temporal | Change from the past to now | 最近太ってきた。 I've been gaining weight lately. |
| Emerging | From non-existence to existence | お腹が空いてきた。 I'm starting to get hungry. |
ていく vs てくる — temporal comparison:
| ていく (→ future) | てくる (past →) |
|---|---|
| これから寒くなっていく | 最近寒くなってきた |
| It will get colder from now on | It's been getting colder lately |
ようになる vs ようになってくる
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 納豆を食べるようになった。 | I started eating natto. (Result of a change) |
| 納豆を食べるようになってきた。 | I've gradually come to eat natto. (Emphasizing the process of change) |
7. たまま: Maintaining the Status Quo
たまま means "after doing something, that state continues unchanged":
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 窓を開けたまま寝た。 | Slept with the window open. |
| 靴を履いたまま家に入った。 | Entered the house with shoes on. |
| アイスクリームを出したままで置くと、溶けてしまいます。 | If you leave the ice cream out, it will melt. |
たまま vs ておく: たまま emphasizes "the state hasn't changed," while ておく emphasizes "deliberately leaving it as is."
Master Table
| Auxiliary Verb | Core Function | One-line Memory Aid |
|---|---|---|
| てある | Deliberate resultant state | Someone did it on purpose, and the result remains |
| ておく | Advance preparation / leaving as is | Do it and leave it there |
| てみる | Trying | Give it a try |
| てしまう | Completion / regret | Done (and maybe regretting it) |
| ていく | Moving away / future change | From now onward |
| てくる | Arriving / past change | From the past to now |
| たまま | Maintaining status quo | Stays the same way |
Summary
- てある vs ている: てある emphasizes "someone did it deliberately"
- ておく has four usages: preparation / leaving as is / temporary placement / disposal
- てしまう isn't just about regret — it also marks thorough completion
- ていく / てくる are a temporal pair: future vs past
- たまま means the state hasn't changed
Self-Check Exercises
Q1. What's the difference between 「お金は払ってある」 and 「お金は払っている」?
Show Answer
- 払ってある → The money has been (deliberately) paid, emphasizing it was done in advance as preparation
- 払っている → The money is being paid / has been paid, simply describing a state
てある adds a layer of "intentionality — someone prepared this in advance."
Q2. Why does 「最近寒くなってきた」 use てくる instead of ていく?
Show Answer
Because "it's gotten colder lately" describes a change from the past to the present, so we use てくる (past → present). If saying "it will get colder from now on," you'd use ていく (present → future): これから寒くなっていく.
Q3. What's the difference between 「窓を閉めておく」 and 「窓を閉めたままにする」?
Show Answer
- 閉めておく → Close the window ahead of time (for some future purpose, like preventing rain)
- 閉めたままにする → Keep the window in the closed state
ておく emphasizes "advance preparation," while たまま emphasizes "the state remains unchanged."