The て-form (て形) is essential in Japanese grammar for connecting verbs and expressing various states of action. In this article, we will explore how the て-form is used to indicate status, progress, and completion of actions.
Table of Contents
Expressing Ongoing Actions with ている (て + いる)
Formal Ongoing Actions
The structure ている (te iru) is used to indicate an action that is currently in progress, similar to the present continuous tense in English.
雨が降っている。
(Ame ga futte iru.)
"It is raining."
彼は今ご飯を食べている。
(Kare wa ima gohan o tabete iru.)
"He is eating right now."Casual Ongoing Actions
In casual speech, you just use てる (teru)
今、映画を見てる。
(Ima, eiga o miteru.)
"I'm watching a movie."Expressing Habitual Actions with ている
Besides ongoing actions, ている can also indicate habitual actions or states.
✅ 毎朝コーヒーを飲んでいる。
(Maiasa kōhī o nonde iru.)
"I drink coffee every morning."
✅ 彼は東京に住んでいる。
(Kare wa Tōkyō ni sunde iru.)
"He lives in Tokyo."This is different from English because ている is used for permanent states like “knowing” or “living somewhere.”
Expressing Completed Actions with てしまう (て + しまう)
Formal Completed Action
The structure てしまう (te shimau) indicates the completion of an action. It can also imply regret or that something happened unintentionally.
Completed
宿題を終えてしまった。
(Shukudai o oete shimatta.)
"I have finished my homework."
Regret
財布を忘れてしまった！
(Saifu o wasurete shimatta!)
"I forgot my wallet!" (Oops!)Casual Completed Action
In casual speech, you just use ちゃう.
Completed
全部食べちゃった！
(Zenbu tabechatta!)
"I ate it all!"
Regret
忘れちゃった！
(Wasure chatta!)
("I forgot!")Expressing Prepared Actions with ておく (て + おく)
Formal Prepared Action
The structure ておく (te oku) is used when an action is done in advance for future convenience.
明日の準備をしておく。
(Ashita no junbi o shite oku.)
"I will prepare for tomorrow."
電池を買っておく。
(Denchi o katte oku.)
"I'll buy batteries (in advance)."Casual
For casual, use とく (toku).
買っとくよ。
(Kattoku yo.)
"I'll buy it (just in case)."Expressing Actions Left Undone with ないでおく (ない + でおく)
The negative form ないでおく (nai de oku) expresses deliberately leaving something undone for a reason.
窓を開けないでおく。
(Mado o akenaide oku.)
"I will leave the window closed."
それを言わないでおく。
(Sore o iwanaide oku.)
"I will not say that (on purpose)."Expressing a Resulting State with てある (て + ある)
The structure てある (te aru) indicates that something was done and remains in that state. It is often used with transitive verbs (verbs that take an object).
ドアが開けてある。
(Doa ga akete aru.)
"The door has been opened (and is still open)."
テーブルの上に本が置いてある。
(Tēburu no ue ni hon ga oite aru.)
"A book has been placed on the table (and is still there)."てある is used when someone intentionally did something, and the result remains.
Expressing Repetitive or Continuing Actions with てばかりいる (て + ばかり + いる)
The structure てばかりいる (te bakari iru) is used to express doing only one thing repeatedly or complaining about a repetitive action.
ゲームをしてばかりいる。
(Gēmu o shite bakari iru.)
"I'm always playing games (and not doing anything else)."
テレビを見てばかりいる。
(Terebi o mite bakari iru.)
"You're always watching TV!"ばかり suggests too much of one action, often with a negative tone.
Conclusion
Mastering the て-form variations for status, progress, and completion will help you express actions more naturally in Japanese. Here’s a summary of the key structures:
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ている | Ongoing action | 読んでいる。 (“I’m reading.”) |
| てしまう | Completion/regret | 忘れてしまった！ (“I forgot!”) |
| ておく | Do in advance | 準備しておく。 (“I’ll prepare.”) |
| ないでおく | Leave undone | 言わないでおく。 (“I won’t say it.”) |
| てある | Resulting state | 開けてある。 (“It’s been opened.”) |
| てばかりいる | Always doing one thing | 遊んでばかりいる。 (“Always playing.”) |