ておくte oku“do in advance; leave done”

ておく means do in advance; leave done. 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 ておく mean and when should you use it?

What does ておく mean?

Use ておく when you want to express do in advance; leave done in a Japanese sentence.

Natural translations include:

• do in advance; leave done
• do in advance
• leave done

Try to notice whether the speaker is preparing for something ahead of time or leaving something in a continued state.

How to form ておく

Verb て-form + おく

Examples of the pattern:

• Verb て-form + おく
• ておく
• related form: てある

The auxiliary おく attaches directly to the て-form. Remember that only verbs in て-form can precede おく.

When is ておく used?

Use ておく 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

ておく example sentences

• 旅行の前にホテルを予約しておきます。 — I will reserve the hotel in advance before the trip.
• 明日のために資料を読んでおきました。 — I read the materials in advance for tomorrow.
• 窓を開けておいてください。 — Please leave the window open.
• 会議の前にコピーしておきます。 — I will make copies before the meeting.
• あとで使うので、そのままにしておいてください。 — We will use it later, so please leave it as it is.

After reading each sentence, ask what job ておく is doing: preparing for a future event, or keeping something in its current state.

Nuance of ておく

The key nuance is do in advance; leave done in context, not a word-for-word English replacement.

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

ておく vs てある

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

ておく:

• is the target JLPT N4 pattern in this lesson
• focuses on do in advance; leave done

てある:

• is useful for comparison because learners often confuse nearby forms
• may change the tone, evidence, direction, or relationship in the sentence

Quick contrast examples:

• Target pattern: 旅行の前にホテルを予約しておきます。 — I will reserve the hotel in advance before the trip.
• Related pattern with てある: compare what changes in evidence, timing, direction, or politeness.

If both translations seem possible, check the speaker’s intent. Is the action being prepared for the future, or is the speaker describing a state that was intentionally created and remains? The context often tells you which grammar point is natural.

Common mistakes with ておく

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Copying a dictionary gloss without checking the sentence context
• Using the wrong verb, adjective, or noun form
• Confusing ておく with てある because the English can sound similar

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with ておく, then rewrite it with てある.

Is ておく on the JLPT?

Yes. ておく is connected to JLPT N4 grammar in this blog.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for ておく

• 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 ておく

Use ておく as part of your JLPT N4 て-form action-flow and auxiliary verb grammar toolkit. Review the main て-form action first, then ask what the auxiliary adds: preparation, trial, completion, regret, movement, continuation, or a change over time. Build short verb chains before using longer sentences.

A good review order is: first make one short sentence with ておく, then compare it with てくる, and finally add てみる or てしまう to see how the nuance changes.

For practice, write one sentence that uses ておく 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.

Related grammar to review next

• てくる — come to; do and come back.
• てみる — try doing.
• てしまう — completion and regret.
• てしまう / ちゃう — finish completely; do accidentally.

Browse more lessons here:

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Learn ておく with Hane

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

Browse more lessons here:

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• JLPT N4 grammar lessons