ておく | Grammar

Structure

[verb て-form] + おく [verb て-form] + おく → 〜とく / 〜どく (casual)

Description

ておく means doing something now so that it is ready for later: "do in advance", "get ~ done". It follows the て-form of a verb you do on purpose – かう買う, しらべる調べる, but also やすむ休む or ねる寝る – and おく then changes like any う-verb: ておきます, ておいた, ておこう.

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I'll clean the room before the party.

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I'll get the materials ready for tomorrow.

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You should book a hotel before the trip.

Leaving something as it is

With a verb that changes a state, ておく can mean leaving it that way on purpose.

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Please leave the window open.

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Let's leave it as it is.

ておく or てある

ておく is the action, done by someone for a purpose. てある is the state it leaves behind, with the thing as subject on が. Both take the transitive verb; the intransitive partner – ひらく開く for あける開ける, つく for つける – takes neither.

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I put some beer in to chill.

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There's beer chilling.

× 窓が開いておく → 窓を開けておく

Usage notes

These go beyond preparing in advance.

For now

ておく can also mean doing something for the time being without settling the matter. かんがえて考えておきます, "I'll think about it", is often a polite no.

、。

For now, I'll just write my name.

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I'll think about it.

とく in casual speech

In speech ておく shortens to とく, and でおく to どく: しとく, よん読んどく, いっ言っといた.

、。

Just so you know, tomorrow's a day off.

。

I'll ask the teacher.

Examples

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I'll copy the documents before the meeting (in advance).

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I checked my passport before the trip (in advance).

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Let's put the beer in the fridge to chill (ahead of time).

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Please leave the lights on.

、。

My friend is coming, so I'll make food in advance.

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You should look up the meaning of this word ahead of time.

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It's important, so remember it, okay?

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I already bought the tickets in advance.

、。

I left the air conditioning on, so the room is cool.

、。

Tomorrow is early, so I prepared my bags in advance.

、。

I'll eat that cake later, so save it for me.

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I'll ask the teacher (ahead of time), okay?