ていく (te iku) – Meaning & Usage

Q: How do you form ていく (te iku)?

Verb て-form + いく 勉強して + いく → 勉強していく Related form: てくる

ていく means go on doing; move away while doing. It is a JLPT N4 Japanese grammar pattern used to express this idea in natural Japanese.

This English meaning is written independently from the source list so it answers the learner question directly: what does ていく mean and when should you use it?

What does ていく mean?

Use ていく when you want to express go on doing; move away while doing in a Japanese sentence.

Natural translations include:

go on doing; move away while doing
go on doing
move away while doing

How to form ていく

Verb て-form + いく

勉強して + いく → 勉強していく

Related form: てくる

When is ていく used?

Use ていく in situations like:

reading or writing JLPT N4-level sentences
making a sentence more precise than a basic N5 pattern
recognizing natural grammar in conversation or short passages

Tone and register:

usually neutral unless the pattern itself is casual, humble, honorific, or written
common in JLPT N4 grammar study and everyday examples

ていく example sentences

これからも日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)していきます。

I will keep studying Japanese from now on.

continuation

鳥(とり)が空(そら)へ飛(と)んでいきました。

The bird flew away into the sky.

movement away

人口(じんこう)は少(すこ)しずつ減(へ)っていきます。

The population will gradually decrease.

gradual change

この習慣(しゅうかん)を続(つづ)けていきたいです。

I want to keep this habit going.

continuation

子(こ)どもたちは走(はし)っていきました。

The children ran away.

movement away

After reading each sentence, ask what job ていく is doing: continuation into the future, or physical movement away from the speaker.

Nuance of ていく

The key nuance is go on doing; move away while doing in context, not a word-for-word English replacement.

This matters because ていく often changes the relationship between actions, people, time, or evidence in the sentence. Read the whole sentence before choosing the English translation.

ていく vs てくる

Both patterns can appear in related sentences, but they do different jobs.

ていく

Target pattern

Focuses on go on doing; move away while doing.

これからも日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)していきます。

I will keep studying Japanese from now on.

てくる

Related pattern

Changes the tone, evidence, direction, or relationship in the sentence; often implies movement toward the speaker or continuation up to now.

If both translations seem possible, check the direction or time frame. Is the action moving forward, away, or toward the speaker? The answer often tells you which grammar point is natural.

Common mistakes with ていく

❌ Copying a dictionary gloss without checking the sentence context

✅ Read the whole sentence before choosing the English translation.

❌ Using the wrong verb, adjective, or noun form

✅ Attach ていく only to the て-form of a verb.

❌ Confusing ていく with てくる because the English can sound similar

✅ Check the direction or time frame: ていく looks forward or away; てくる looks backward or toward.

Is ていく on the JLPT?

Yes. ていく is connected to JLPT N4 grammar.

Recognize it in reading
Understand its nuance in context
Use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for ていく

Write one short sentence using the basic structure.

Replace the subject, time, or object and keep the same grammar point.

Compare your sentence with the related pattern above.

Learning path for ていく

Use ていく as part of your JLPT N4 て-form action-flow and auxiliary verb grammar toolkit. Build short verb chains before using longer sentences.

Review the main て-form action first, then ask what the auxiliary adds: preparation, trial, completion, regret, movement, continuation, or a change over time.

Make one short sentence with ていく, then compare it with ていた.

Add 続ける or 始める to see how the nuance changes.

Write one sentence that uses ていく in its most literal meaning, one sentence that changes the subject or time expression, and one sentence that contrasts it with one of the related patterns below.

ていた — was doing; had been.
続ける — keep doing.
始める — begin to do.
出す — start doing; suddenly begin.

Learn ていく with Hane

If you want to review ていく together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

FAQ about ていく

What does ていく (te iku) mean in Japanese?

ていく (te iku) means “go on doing; move away while doing”. It is JLPT N4 grammar. Use ていく when you want to express go on doing; move away while doing in a Japanese sentence.

How do you form ていく (te iku)?

Verb て-form + いく勉強して + いく → 勉強していく Related form: てくる

What is an example sentence with ていく (te iku)?

これからも日本語を勉強していきます。 — I will keep studying Japanese from now on.