てくる
Meanings
- to come to do something
- to start doing something
- to continue doing something up to now
- to have become something
- to be starting to do something; to begin to do something
About this pattern
Explanation
The てくる form shows a sense of change or progression moving toward the present from the past or from the speaker’s point of view. It highlights that something has begun or has been happening and is now noticeable or ongoing. It often describes gradual changes, newly started actions, or events approaching the current moment. It contrasts with ていく, which emphasizes a change moving away from the present or toward the future.
Learn in context
Example sentences
The wind is getting stronger.
My Japanese pronunciation is gradually getting better.
It started raining.
As work starts increasing, I become busy.
He is going to come late.
The more you use this machine, the more it starts to break down.
My thinking is beginning to change.
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More N4 patterns
Or something; Any... (with question words); No matter (who)
View detailseasy to (do); likely to (happen); easy to be affected by
View detailsDifficult to; Hard to; Not easy to do something
View detailsGradually; Little by little; Step by step
View detailsmore and more; rapidly; increasing quickly; progressively
View detailsWe/They/You all (plural forms); These/Those (plural demonstratives); Plural suffix for certain pronouns and demonstratives
View details