Japanese て form compound verbs attach to the て form of any verb to add a layer of meaning — intention, direction, completion, state, or desire. The seven core compounds are てみる (try and see), てしまう (completion or regret), ておく (do in advance), てある (resultant state with human agency), ていく (going forward), てくる (coming up to now), and てほしい (want someone to do). Each is tested from N4 through N2 and appears constantly in natural Japanese.
Covers: all 7 て form compounds with examples, てある vs ている contrast, ていく vs てくる temporal/spatial contrast, てしまう dual meanings, てほしい vs たい, and 5 common mistakes
Experimental attempt; result is unknown or uncertain before trying
てしまう
end up doing / do completely
食べてしまう
食べてしまいます
Completion (neutral or satisfied) OR accidental result with regret; colloquial: ちゃう・じゃう
ておく
do in advance / leave as-is (intentionally)
準備しておく
しておきます
Implies intentional preparation for a future use; colloquial: とく
てある
resultant state (left by a human agent)
窓が開けてある
開けてあります
Transitive verb + が; implies someone deliberately did it for a reason
ていく
go away doing / change going forward
暖かくなっていく
なっていきます
Direction away from now — spatial departure or future temporal change
てくる
come doing / change up to now
暖かくなってきた
なってきました
Direction toward now — spatial approach or change leading up to the present
てほしい
want someone else to do
手伝ってほしい
手伝ってほしいです
Speaker's desire directed at another person's action — not the speaker's own desire to act
てみる — Try Doing to Discover the Result
てみる means "try doing something to see what happens." The key nuance is that you do not know the result before trying — it is an experiment. It does not mean "try hard" or "make an effort"; use ようとする or 努力する for that.
Japanese
Translation
Notes
やってみてください
Please give it a try
Standard invitation to attempt something new
食べてみたら美味しかった
I tried eating it and it was delicious
〜てみたら = after trying, I discovered…
ためしに使ってみる
Try using it as a test / experimentally
ためしに reinforces the experimental nuance
日本語で話してみます
I'll try speaking in Japanese
Willingness to attempt something uncertain
てしまう — Completion or Regret (+ Colloquial Forms)
てしまう has two readings depending on context. Context — and the nature of what happened — always determines which meaning applies.
Meaning
Japanese
Translation
Tone
Completion / satisfaction
宿題をやってしまった
I finished all the homework
Neutral or relieved — task is done
Completion / thoroughness
全部食べてしまった
I ate it all up
Can be neutral or slightly regretful
Accident / regret
財布を忘れてしまった
I accidentally forgot my wallet
Regret — unwanted outcome
Accident / regret
ケーキを落としてしまった
I dropped the cake
Regret — something bad happened
Colloquial — ちゃう
食べちゃった
Ended up eating it
Casual speech; same dual meaning
Colloquial — じゃう
飲んじゃった
Ended up drinking it
After voiced sounds (ん、び、み etc.)
ておく — Doing in Advance · てある vs ている — State Contrast
ておく implies that you are doing something now so that things will be ready or in order for a future situation. It carries a sense of deliberate intentionality that plain ている does not.
Japanese
Translation
Notes
旅行前にホテルを予約しておいた
I booked the hotel in advance for the trip
Done now so the trip goes smoothly — classic ておく preparation
そのままにしておいて
Leave it as it is
Deliberate non-action — leave things in their current state
覚えておいてください
Please keep this in mind / remember it
Retain information for future use
てある vs ている for states:
Construction
Example
Translation
What it implies
Transitive + てある
窓が開けてある
The window has been opened (and left open)
A human agent deliberately opened it for a reason
Intransitive + ている
窓が開いている
The window is open
Current state only — no agent implied
Transitive + てある
資料が準備してある
The materials have been prepared
Someone prepared them intentionally — ready for use
Intransitive + ている
資料が並んでいる
The materials are laid out
Describes the current arrangement — no agency stated
Key rule: てある always uses a transitive verb with the particle が (not を). It implies a human agent did the action intentionally and the result remains. ている with an intransitive verb simply describes the current state with no agent implied.
The spatial meaning is straightforward: ていく = take/go away; てくる = bring/come here. The temporal meaning is equally consistent: てきた describes a trend or change that has been developing up to the present moment; ていく describes a trend expected to continue from now into the future. Both perspectives hinge on the speaker's position in time and space.
5 Common Mistakes with て Form Compounds
Using てある with an intransitive verb.✗ 窓が開いてある is ungrammatical — 開く is intransitive and cannot take てある. Use the transitive verb: ✓ 窓が開けてある (someone opened it intentionally). For a simple state with no agent, use the intransitive + ている: ✓ 窓が開いている (the window is open).
Assuming てしまう always expresses regret.てしまう can simply mean thorough completion with a neutral or even positive tone: 宿題をやってしまった = I finished all the homework (satisfied). Regret comes from context — when the outcome is unwanted. Do not automatically add regret where none is intended.
Using ておく when there is no future purpose.ておく implies intentional preparation for a future situation. If you are simply describing what is happening right now with no preparatory intent, use ている. Saying テレビを見ておく sounds odd unless you are deliberately watching TV in advance of something — say テレビを見ている instead.
Confusing ていく and てくる direction. Always think from the speaker's perspective. てくる = moving toward now or here; ていく = moving away from now or here. 暖かくなってきた = it has been getting warmer (up to now, toward the present). 暖かくなっていく = it will keep getting warmer (from now, into the future).
Confusing てほしい and させたい.てほしい is a wish or gentle request — "I would like you to do X" (手伝ってほしい). させたい = "I want to make/have someone do X" — it implies the speaker has the authority or intention to cause the action. てほしい is softer and more common in everyday requests. Do not use させたい when a wish is all you mean.
FAQ: Japanese て Form Compounds
What are the main Japanese て form compound verbs?
The seven main て form compounds are: てみる (try doing to see the result), てしまう (end up doing / do completely, often with regret), ておく (do in advance for a future purpose), てある (resultant state left by a human agent), ていく (do and go away / change toward the future), てくる (do and come back / change up to now), and てほしい (want someone else to do something). Each adds a distinct nuance to the base verb and is tested from N4 through N2 on the JLPT.
What is the difference between てある and ている for resultant states?
Both describe a current state, but they differ in verb type and implied agency. てある uses a transitive verb with が and implies that a human agent deliberately performed the action for a purpose: 窓が開けてある (the window has been opened — someone did it intentionally). ている uses an intransitive verb and implies no agent: 窓が開いている (the window is open — it is simply in that state). てある always implies intentional human action behind the current state.
Does てしまう always express regret?
No. てしまう has two meanings depending on context. Completion or thoroughness — often neutral or satisfied: 宿題をやってしまった (I finished all the homework — done). Accidental completion with regret: 財布を忘れてしまった (I accidentally forgot my wallet). The colloquial contractions ちゃう and じゃう carry the same dual meaning. Context determines which interpretation applies — do not automatically read regret into every instance.
What is the difference between ていく and てくる?
ていく and てくる encode direction relative to the speaker. Spatially: ていく = going away (take it and leave); てくる = coming toward you (bring it here). Temporally: ていく describes a change that will continue into the future (上手くなっていく — will keep getting better); てくる describes a change that has been happening up to the present (上手くなってきた — has been getting better up to now). The reference point is always the speaker's current position.
How is てほしい different from たい?
たい expresses the speaker's own desire to do something: 日本語を勉強したい (I want to study Japanese). てほしい expresses the speaker's desire for someone else to do something — it is directed outward: 手伝ってほしい (I want you to help me). The negative: たくない = I do not want to do it; てほしくない = I do not want them to do it. てほしい is gentler than させたい, which implies wanting to make or have someone do something.
When should I use ておく versus ている?
ておく implies an action done intentionally in preparation for a future situation, or something deliberately left in a state for a purpose: 旅行前にホテルを予約しておいた (I booked the hotel in advance for the trip). ている simply describes an ongoing action or current state with no implication of future utility: 今本を読んでいる (I am reading a book right now). Do not use ておく for actions that have no clear preparatory purpose — it would sound oddly intentional.
The YoruLearn app drills all 7 て form compounds through spaced-repetition fill-in-the-blank exercises that test nuance — distinguishing てある from ている, ていく from てくる, and completion from regret in てしまう — so each pattern becomes automatic.
These compounds are presented as meaning patterns, not one-word translations. Context changes whether a form sounds intentional, complete, regretful, directional, or preparatory.
