て-Form for When, Cause, Effect, and Sequence of Actions

The て-form (て形) is an essential part of Japanese grammar that helps connect verbs and clauses in various ways. One of its major functions is to express cause, effect, and sequence of actions. Understanding these uses will allow you to create more complex and natural sentences in Japanese.

Expressing Cause and Effect with the て-Form

The て-form can be used to indicate that the first action causes or leads to the second action. In this usage, it often translates to “because,” “so,” or “as a result.”

Structure:

[Cause] + て + [Effect]

仕事が多くて、疲れた。
(Shigoto ga ōkute, tsukareta.) 
"Because I had a lot of work, I got tired."

熱があって、学校を休んだ。
(Netsu ga atte, gakkō o yasunda.) 
"Because I had a fever, I took a day off school."

This structure is mainly used with adjectives and states rather than intentional actions. If the second clause is an intentional action, other structures like から or ので are preferred.

Expressing a Natural Result with てしまう (て + しまう)

The structure てしまう can also indicate an inevitable result, often with a nuance of regret.

大雨が降って、試合が中止になってしまった。
(Ōame ga futte, shiai ga chūshi ni natte shimatta.) 
"It rained heavily, so the match was canceled."

財布を落としてしまって、大変だった。
(Saifu o otoshite shimatte, taihen datta.) 
"I lost my wallet, and it was a disaster."

てしまう emphasizes the completion or unfortunate nature of the result.

Expressing Sequential Actions with the て-Form

Another common use of the て-form is to connect multiple actions in a sequence. It is similar to saying “and then” or “after that” in English.

Pattern:

[Action 1] + て + [Action 2]

✅ 朝起きて、シャワーを浴びて、会社に行く。
(Asa okite, shawā o abite, kaisha ni iku.) → "I wake up, take a shower, and go to work."

✅ 晩ご飯を食べて、テレビを見た。
(Bangohan o tabete, terebi o mita.) → "I ate dinner and watched TV."

The て-form simply links actions without indicating a time order. The reader/listener assumes that the events happen in a logical sequence.

Expressing a Change of State with ていく and てくる

The structures ていく (te iku) and てくる (te kuru) show changes over time.

ていく (Moving Forward/Progressing)

Indicates an action that continues into the future or moves away from the speaker.

日本語の勉強を続けていく。
(Nihongo no benkyō o tsuzukete iku.) 
"I will continue studying Japanese."

天気が寒くなっていく。
(Tenki ga samuku natte iku.) 
"The weather will get colder (from now on)."

てくる (Up to Now/Approaching)

Indicates an action that has been happening until now or moves toward the speaker.

日本語を勉強してきた。
(Nihongo o benkyō shite kita.) 
"I have been studying Japanese (up until now)."

気温が上がってきた。
(Kion ga agatte kita.) 
"The temperature has started rising."

Expressing Unexpected Consequences with たら and てから

While not strictly て-form, the following structures are often used to express unexpected cause-effect relationships in sequence-based actions.

たら (When/If… Then…)

ボタンを押したら、ドアが開いた。
(Botan o oshitara, doa ga aita.) 
"When I pressed the button, the door opened."

てから (After Doing…)

宿題をしてから、ゲームをする。
(Shukudai o shite kara, gēmu o suru.) 
"After doing my homework, I'll play games."

たら implies an unexpected or conditional result. てから means one action happens after another in a planned way.

Expressing “When”

Present Action

When a verb is in the te form, you can combine it with toki to express a situation that happens when something else occurs. It typically refers to a point in time when a certain action takes place or a specific event happens.

食べている時 
(tabete iru toki) 
"When eating" or "At the time of eating"

Past Action

If you are talking about a past event, you can change the verb into the past tense. The construction would be: Verb (ta form) + toki

Example:

食べた時 (tabeta toki) 
"When I ate" or "At the time when I ate"

Conditions or Situations

The construction te form + toki can also express a situation where one action happens as a condition or time frame for another. In these cases, the action in the te form is seen as happening at the time of the other event.