〜てくる: Coming To Do, Going & Returning, and Changes Over Time
The "toward me, toward now" くる adds
〜てくる is the verb くる ("to come") glued onto another verb in its て-form. On its own the front verb just states an action; くる layers a direction on top of it — movement toward your location, toward the present moment, toward you as the center of things. That single nuance is what splits into the pattern's three readings: "go and come back," "has gradually become," and "is heading this way." Once you feel the "toward me / toward now" core, all three click together.
ヤッタンはパンを買ってくる。
ヤッタンは パンを かってくる。
Yattan will go buy some bread and come back.
買う (buy) + てくる = go do it, then return.
日本語が少し分かってきた。
にほんごが すこし わかってきた。
I've started to understand Japanese a little.
A change that has built up to the present.
雨が降ってきた。
あめが ふってきた。
It's started to rain.
The rain arrives — approaching the speaker.
The verbs it rides on
Take the て-form of a verb and add くる. Because くる is irregular, all the tense and politeness lives on the くる part; the front verb stays frozen in て-form.
| Plain verb | て-form | + くる | Polite | Past |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 買う (buy) | 買って | 買ってくる | 買ってきます | 買ってきた |
| 持つ (hold) | 持って | 持ってくる | 持ってきます | 持ってきた |
| なる (become) | なって | なってくる | なってきます | なってきた |
| 降る (fall) | 降って | 降ってくる | 降ってきます | 降ってきた |
So the past and polite forms are 買ってきた and 買ってきます, never 買いましてくる — conjugate くる, not the verb in front. The negative is 〜てこない ("won't come / hasn't come to"): 慣れてこない ("I'm not getting used to it"). And it is not a fixed phrase locked to 行ってくる: motion verbs (走ってくる, 連れてくる), change and perception verbs (増えてくる, 分かってくる), and weather verbs (降ってくる, 吹いてくる) all take it. For the change-over-time meaning you will lean on 〜てきた constantly.
The three jobs in real sentences
Go do it and come back. When the front verb is an action you physically leave to perform, 〜てくる says you'll do it and return. This is why 行ってくる is the standard "I'm off!" you say leaving the house — literally "I'll go and come back."
ちょっと飲み物を買ってきます。
ちょっと のみものを かってきます。
I'll just go grab some drinks and come back.
ヤッタン、行ってくる！
ヤッタン、いってくる！
Yattan, I'm heading out (and I'll be back)!
行ってくる — the everyday 'see you later' on the way out.
先生に聞いてくるね。
せんせいに きいてくるね。
I'll go ask the teacher and come right back.
A change that has developed up to now. With verbs of change or perception, 〜てきた shows a shift that started earlier and has continued up to the present — picture the change "traveling toward now." It pairs naturally with なる and adjectives turned into adverbs (寒く, 暑く, 多く).
だんだん寒くなってきた。
だんだん さむく なってきた。
It's gradually gotten cold.
なってきた = the change reached the present moment.
モチは漢字が読めてきた。
モチは かんじが よめてきた。
Mochi has started to be able to read kanji.
A skill building up over time.
この街も人が増えてきました。
このまちも ひとが ふえてきました。
This town has gotten more crowded, too.
Something approaching you. When something moves toward the speaker in space — or a phenomenon begins and heads your way — 〜てくる captures that arrival. 雨が降ってくる feels like the rain coming down onto you, not just the abstract fact that it rains.
向こうから弟が走ってきた。
むこうから おとうとが はしってきた。
Yattan's brother came running over from over there.
Movement toward the speaker.
急に風が吹いてきた。
きゅうに かぜが ふいてきた。
The wind suddenly picked up.
A phenomenon starting and reaching you.
Set against 〜ていく
くる ("come") points toward the speaker and the present; いく ("go") points away — off into the distance or off into the future. Swap one for the other and the direction flips:
- 弟が走ってきた = brother ran toward me. 弟が走っていった = brother ran away from me.
- 寒くなってきた = it's gotten cold (up to now). これから寒くなっていく = it'll keep getting colder (from now on).
- 買ってくる = go buy it and come back. 買っていく = buy it and take it along (away with you).
This is where the two most common slips happen. "It's gotten cold" is 寒くなってきた (the change reaches now); reaching for 寒くなっていく wrongly says it will keep getting colder from here. And Use 1 always promises a return — 買ってくる means you come back, so if you are simply taking something with you and leaving, that is 買っていく. The rule of thumb: if the arrow points at you or at now, use てくる; if it points away into the distance or the future, use ていく.
The short version
- 〜てくる = て-form + くる, carrying a "toward me / toward now" feeling.
- Use 1: go do something and come back — 買ってくる, 行ってくる.
- Use 2: a change that has built up to the present — 寒くなってきた.
- Use 3: something approaching you in space or time — 雨が降ってきた.
- Mirror it with 〜ていく for movement away from now or into the future.
Practice it
Choose てくる or ていく, and pick the right meaning of 〜てくる.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
だんだん寒くなっ＿＿＿。もう冬だね。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 〜てくる and 〜ていく?
くる points toward the speaker and the present, so 〜てくる means 'come back,' 'has become (up to now),' or 'approaching me.' いく points away, so 〜ていく means 'take along and leave' or 'will keep becoming (from now on).' 寒くなってきた = it's gotten cold; 寒くなっていく = it'll keep getting colder.
Does 行ってくる really mean 'goodbye'?
It literally means 'I'll go and come back,' which is exactly what you say leaving home or the office in Japan. The reply is 行ってらっしゃい. It's Use 1 of 〜てくる — go do something (here, just 'go') and return.
How do I conjugate 〜てくる for past or polite?
Change only the くる part: 買ってくる → 買ってきた (past) → 買ってきます (polite) → 買ってきました (polite past). The front verb stays in て-form.
Why does 雨が降ってくる add くる instead of just 雨が降る?
雨が降る is the neutral fact 'it rains.' Adding てくる adds the sense that the rain is starting and coming down toward you right now — it makes the event feel immediate and directed at the speaker.
Where 〜てくる 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.
- The て-form · N5 — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜になる / 〜くなる · N5 — なる means 'become.' Learn the three patterns: noun + に + なる, な-adjective + に + なる, and い-adjective (drop い) + く + なる, plus how なる differs from する.
More N4 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ておく — 〜ておく means doing something in advance or leaving something as it is. Learn the formation from the て-form, the past 〜ておいた, 〜ておきたい, and the casual 〜とく contraction.
- 〜てしまう — 〜てしまう adds 'finish completely' or 'oops, ended up' to a verb. Learn the て-form formation, the regret nuance, past 〜てしまった, and the casual contractions 〜ちゃう / 〜じゃう.
- 〜間 — 〜間 means 'the whole time while' and pairs with a continuous action; 〜間に means 'at some point during.' Learn the formation, the key difference, and a clear minimal pair.
- 〜までに — 〜までに marks a deadline: do something by a time or event — 5時までに帰る ('be back by 5'). Learn the formation and how までに differs from まで ('until').
- Volitional Form — The plain volitional form means 'let's ~' or 'I'll ~'. Learn how to make 〜よう/〜おう from every verb type, how it relates to 〜ましょう, and what it builds toward.
- 〜ようと思う — 〜ようと思う uses the volitional form + と思う to say you've decided to do something: 勉強しようと思う. Learn the formation, the 〜ようと思っている variant, and how it differs from つもり and 予定.