～てくる (1) (directional)

• Reading: くる
• Romaji: kuru
• Formation: Verb て-form + くる/きます
• Kanji breakdown: 来 (らい/く.る) — come, arrive

Meaning

An auxiliary verb construction where くる follows the て form to express that someone or something moves toward the speaker. It indicates physical movement in the direction of the speaker's location.

When てくる is used directionally, it describes an action that results in approach toward the speaker's vantage point. The verb before て indicates the manner of movement or action, and くる specifies the direction as toward the speaker. This contrasts with ていく, which expresses movement away from the speaker. The distinction is based on the speaker's perspective at the time of the event, not absolute direction. For example, 走ってくる means 'come running toward me' while 走っていく means 'go running away from me.' This use extends to non-physical transfers like sending or bringing objects. Learners sometimes confuse this directional use with the temporal use of てくる, but context and the nature of the verb usually disambiguate them.

Examples

1. 犬が走ってきた。 The dog came running toward me.
2. 友達が手紙を送ってきました。 My friend sent me a letter.
3. 隣の部屋から音楽が聞こえてくる。 Music can be heard coming from the next room.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 彼がこちらに歩いてきた。
• 母が荷物を持ってきてくれた。
• 遠くから電車の音が聞こえてくる。

Don't Say

• 犬が走っていった。(Using ていく when the dog is approaching the speaker — use てくる for movement toward you) → 犬が走ってきた。
• 友達がプレゼントを送っていきました。(Using ていく when something is coming to the speaker — use てくる for receiving direction) → 友達がプレゼントを送ってきました。

Origin & History

くる is one of the two basic directional verbs in Japanese, representing motion toward the speaker. Its use as an auxiliary after て form extends the core 'coming' meaning to modify other verbs, adding the sense of directionality toward the speaker.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal