LEARN + JAPANESE / Note 136 JLPT N4
Getting It Ready Ahead of Time (〜ておく)
ておく attaches to a verb’s て-form and describes doing something in advance, in preparation for later, “do it now so it’s ready when needed.”
I'll go ahead and reserve a hotel.
I'll study up on French history beforehand.
In Real Life
ておく always has an eye on the future, doing something now so a later situation goes smoothly. Compare this to てある, which describes a state already set up and left that way, ておく is the action of setting it up; てある describes the resulting state afterward.
Well then, you'd better look into various universities ahead of time.
Well then, you'd better start preparing from now.
In Real Life
ておいた方がいい, combining ておく with ほうがいい, is a very natural way to recommend advance preparation, “you’d be better off getting this ready now,” rather than leaving it for later.
Vocabulary
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| to reserve, book | |
| to search for | |
| history | |
| guidebook | |
| to practice | |
| opponent, the other party | |
| match, game | |
| to prepare | |
| to make a list | |
| suit | |
| to polish, brush | |
| to bake | |
| message | |
| video camera | |
| ahead of time, early | |
| in advance | |
| preparation stage | |
| countermeasure | |
| to arrange, put in order | |
| to arrange, make arrangements |