The て-form (て形) is a versatile grammatical structure in Japanese that connects actions and ideas. One of its key functions is to express movement and direction—how actions are physically carried out, where they lead, and how they interact with movement verbs like 行く (iku), 来る (kuru), and 帰る (kaeru).
Table of Contents
て-form + 行く (いく) → “Going to Do” / “Continuing Forward”
The combination て-form + 行く (いく) is used to express:
- A movement away from the speaker while performing an action.
- An action that continues into the future.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 行くExamples:
図書館に歩いて行く。
(Toshokan ni aruite iku.)
"I will walk to the library."
学校に走って行った。
(Gakkō ni hashitte itta.)
"I ran to school."
これからもっと頑張っていく。
(Kore kara motto ganbatte iku.)
"I will continue working hard from now on."When used with motion verbs, it means the action is performed while moving away.
When used figuratively, it expresses an action that will continue into the future (e.g., 頑張っていく means “keep working hard”).
て-form + 来る (くる) → “Coming While Doing” / “Change Over Time”
The structure て-form + 来る (くる) is used to express:
- A movement toward the speaker while performing an action.
- A change or development that started in the past and continues.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 来るExamples:
コンビニでおにぎりを買って来る。
(Konbini de onigiri o katte kuru.)
"I will go buy an onigiri (and come back)."
雨が降ってきた。
(Ame ga futte kita.)
"It started raining (and continues now)."
ずっと日本語を勉強してきた。
(Zutto nihongo o benkyō shite kita.)
"I have been studying Japanese (up until now)."When used with motion verbs, it means the action is performed while moving toward the speaker.
When used figuratively, it expresses an action or change that has happened over time and continues into the present.
て-form + 帰る (かえる) → “Returning While Doing”
The て-form + 帰る is used when describing going back to a location while performing an action.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 帰るExamples:
仕事が終わって帰る。
(Shigoto ga owatte kaeru.)
"I will go home after finishing work."
彼はアメリカから日本に戻ってきた。
(Kare wa Amerika kara Nihon ni modotte kita.)
"He came back to Japan from America."This form is commonly used when describing returning home, school, or another familiar place while performing an action.
て-form + もどる (戻る) → “Going Back to a Previous State”
The verb 戻る (もどる) means “to return to a previous state or place.” The て-form + 戻る expresses physically or metaphorically returning somewhere.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 戻るExamples:
仕事をやめて、日本に戻った。
(Shigoto o yamete, Nihon ni modotta.)
"I quit my job and went back to Japan."
最初に戻って考えよう。
(Saisho ni modotte kangaeyō.)
"Let's go back to the beginning and think again."Used both physically (returning to a place) and figuratively (returning to a previous state).
て-form + 上る / 下りる (のぼる / おりる) → “Going Up / Down While Doing”
When combined with movement verbs like 上る (のぼる) (to go up) and 下りる (おりる) (to go down), the て-form expresses actions being performed while moving up or down.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 上る / 下りるExamples:
階段を走って上る。
(Kaidan o hashitte noboru.)
"Run up the stairs."
階段を降りて学校へ行く。
(Kaidan o orite gakkō e iku.)
"Go down the stairs and go to school."Indicates simultaneous movement with an action. Commonly used when describing stairs, slopes, or physical movement.
て-form + 渡る / 越える (わたる / こえる) → “Crossing While Doing”
The て-form + 渡る (わたる) or 越える (こえる) expresses crossing something while performing an action.
Pattern:
Verb (て-form) + 渡る / 越えるExamples:
橋を歩いて渡る。
(Hashi o aruite wataru.)
"Walk across the bridge."
国境を超えて旅行する。
(Kokkyo o koete ryokō suru.)
"Travel across borders."渡る is used for crossing bridges, roads, rivers.
越える is used for crossing mountains, borders, obstacles.
Conclusion
The て-form is crucial for expressing movement and direction in Japanese. Here’s a summary of the key structures:
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| て + 行く | Moving away | 泳いで行く (“Swim away”) |
| て + 来る | Moving toward | 泳いで来る (“Swim towards here”) |
| て + 帰る | Returning while doing | 飲んで帰る (“Drink and return home”) |
| て + 戻る | Returning to past state | 日本に戻る (“Return to Japan”) |
| て + 渡る | Crossing while doing | 橋を歩いて渡る (“Walk across the bridge”) |