What is the difference among all of them? Let’s have a look one by one.
てForm is required for the sentence patterns below.
Quick reference
- ている:is/am/are doing something now
- ていく:do something, then go
- てくる:do something, then come back
- てある:something has been done, so ready for something else
- ておく:do something before something else happens
- てみる:try to do something
ている (te i ru)
私はすしを食べている。
↓
I am eating sushi.
ている (te i ru):is/am/are doing something now
ていく (te i ku)
私はすしを食べていく。
↓
I eat sushi. (then go)
ていく (te i ku):do something, then go
- いく originally means ‘to go’.
- Where do they go? It is their next destination.
- It is sometimes good to translate ていく as ‘to continue’.
Ex: つらくても生きていく。(I continue to live even if it is hard.)
Example
- 私はうたっていく。(I sing then go.)
- スカイツリーにのぼっていこう。(Let’s climb Sky Tree then go.)
- かさをもっていきなさい。(Have an umbrella then go. = Take an umbrella.)
てくる (te ku ru)
私はすしを食べてくる。
↓
I eat sushi. (then come back)
てくる (te ku ru):do something, then come back
- くる originally means ‘to come’.
- Where do they come back? It is usually their home, where they usually are.
Example
- 私はかみをきってくる。(I have my hair cut then come back.)
- 気をつけて行ってきてね。(Go carefully then come back.)
- 父は今日ゴルフをしてきた。(My father played golf today then came back.)
てある (te a ru)
私はすしを食べてある。
↓
I have eaten sushi. (so ready to leave Japan.)
てある (te a ru):something has been done, so ready for something else
- ある originally means ‘to be’ or ‘to exist’.
- What is ready? That depends on the context.
Example
- お茶がいれてあります。(The tea has been made.) – so ready for you to drink it.
- 先生には話してあります。(I have spoken to the teacher.) – so ready for you to talk to him.
- バナナは買ってあります。(I have bought bananas.) – so ready to make banana cakes.
ておく (te o ku)
私はすしを食べておく。
↓
I eat sushi. (before I leave Japan)
ておく (te o ku):do something before something else happens
- おく originally means ‘to put’.
Example
- ちゃんとくすりを飲んでおきなさい。(Take medicine properly.) – before you get well.
- たくさんトレーニングしておけ。(Train a lot.) – before the game next month.
- 話しておきたいことがある。(I have something I want to talk about.) – before I die.
てみる (te mi ru)
私はすしを食べてみる。
↓
I try to eat sushi.
てみる (te mi ru):try to do something
- みる originally means ‘to see/look/watch’.
Example
- きのうチェスをやってみた。(I tried to play chess yesterday.)
- 友だちのおやに会ってみた。(I tried to meet my friend’s parent.)
- 新しいスマホを使ってみた。(I tried to use a new smart phone.)