〜てこない: 'Hasn't Come / Doesn't Come' (Meaning + Examples)
Something expected hasn't arrived or started
〜てこない negates てくる to say that an anticipated arrival, message, or gradual change hasn't happened yet — often with a sense of waiting or expectation.
やったんは、もちからの返信が全然戻ってこないので心配になった。
やったんは、もちからの へんしんが ぜんぜん もどって こないので しんぱいに なった。
Yattan got worried because Mochi's reply hadn't come back at all.
戻ってこない: an expected reply that still hasn't arrived.
いくら待っても、バスがやってこない。
いくら まっても、バスが やって こない。
No matter how long I wait, the bus doesn't come.
転勤して半年経つのに、まだこの土地に慣れてこない。
てんきんして はんとし たつのに、まだ この とちに なれて こない。
Even though half a year has passed since my transfer, I still haven't been getting used to this place.
Negates the gradual-change sense of てくる, not just physical arrival.
Form: Verb-て + こない
こない is the plain negative of 来る, attached after the て-form exactly as in てくる.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + こない | 聞こえてこない (isn't audible / doesn't reach my ears) |
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + こない | 増えてこない (isn't increasing) |
努力の結果がなかなか出てこない。
どりょくの けっかが なかなか でて こない。
The results of my effort just aren't showing up.
Not the same as plain 来ない
来ない alone just negates arrival of a person or thing. 〜てこない negates the fuller てくる meaning — an approach, an emerging change, or a continuing trend building toward the present. That's why it often appears with adverbs like なかなか ("just won't...") or 全然 ("not at all"), which emphasize that something is conspicuously failing to happen.
The short version
- 〜てこない = "hasn't come / doesn't come" — the negative of てくる.
- Attaches to: the て-form of a verb + こない.
- Nuance/register: neutral; often paired with なかなか or 全然 for emphasis.
- Don't confuse with: plain 来ない, which only negates literal arrival, not the "approaching/emerging" nuance of てくる.
Practice it
Choose 〜てこない when the sentence says an expected change or arrival hasn't happened.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
合格したというのに、まだ実感が湧い＿＿＿。
Where 〜てこない fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- 〜てくる · N4 — 〜てくる has three core uses: go do something and come back, a change that has built up until now, and something approaching you in space or time. Learn each, plus how it differs from 〜ていく.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜てほしくない · N2 — 〜てほしくない is the negative of 〜てほしい — it says you don't want someone else to do something. 嘘をついてほしくない = 'I don't want you to lie.' Compare with the near-twin 〜ないでほしい.
- 〜ていかない · N2 — 〜ていかない is the negative of 〜ていく — it says a gradual change or ongoing process will not continue moving forward from now on. It negates the 'progressing away from the present' meaning of ていく.
- 〜てからでないと · N2 — 〜てからでないと attaches to the te-form of a verb to mean 'unless/until X happens first, [cannot happen]' — it states a strict precondition, usually followed by a negative like できない. Stronger than plain てから.
- 〜てならない · N1 — 〜てならない attaches to feeling verbs or adjectives to mean an emotion is uncontrollable — 気になってならない ('I just can't stop worrying'). Formal and literary, don't confuse it with the unrelated 〜てはならない ('must not').
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜を通じて — 〜を通じて means 'through/by means of X' (a channel or medium) or, with a time period, 'throughout X'; near-identical to を通して, but leans slightly more toward indirect channels and continuous stretches of time.
- 〜につき — につき has two separate uses: attached to a noun of quantity it means 'per' (１ダースにつき３ドル), while attached to a reason noun in formal notices it means 'due to / because of' (本日休業につき).
- 〜てみたところ — 〜てみたところ attaches to the te-form of a verb to mean 'when I tried doing X, [result]' — it reports the outcome of an attempt, often something unexpected. Common in reports and narration of experiments or trials.
- 〜ほど — 〜ほど expresses degree or extent — 'to the point that,' as in 目の玉が飛び出るほど高い ('so expensive your eyes pop out'). It measures how far something goes by describing a vivid consequence or comparison.
- 〜に比べて — 〜に比べて attaches to a noun and means 'compared to / in comparison with,' setting up a baseline before stating how something differs from it: 去年に比べて、今年は暑い ('compared to last year, this year is hot').
- 〜てまで — 〜てまで attaches to the te-form of a verb to mean 'even to the extent of doing X' — usually to criticize going to an extreme length for something. It shows the speaker feels the action is excessive.