〜ていく・〜てくる

〜てくる expresses a change from the past up to the present, or something beginning to emerge: 日本語が分かってきた (I've gradually come to understand Japanese — up to now), 雨が降ってきた (it's started to rain). The image here is of change "moving toward" the speaker.

Conversely, 〜ていく expresses change from now onward: これから寒くなっていく (it will keep getting colder from now on), これからも勉強していきます (I'll keep studying from here on). Just remember: てくる = toward the present, ていく = toward the future.

These two patterns also keep their spatial meaning with verbs of motion and carrying: 持っていく (take along), 持ってくる (bring), 買ってくる (go buy something and come back) — the action is viewed as moving away from or toward the speaker.

Examples

• 日本語(にほんご)が少(すこ)しずつ分(わ)かってきました。

  I've gradually come to understand Japanese.

• これから寒(さむ)くなっていきますね。

  It's going to keep getting colder from now on, isn't it?

• 急(きゅう)に雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ってきました。

  It suddenly started to rain.

Related patterns

• 〜ている（結果・習慣）
• 〜ようになる