Japanese · 18 September 2026 · Intermediate Grammar Patterns
〜ておく〜ておく (～とく)
〜te okuRōmaji
to do (something) in advance / to leave (something) as is
auxiliary verb pattern
Auxiliary verb pattern indicating that an action is performed in preparation for future use or left in a certain state for later. Suggests intentional forethought. In casual speech, contracted to 〜とく.
In a sentence
明日の会議に備えて、資料をコピーして机の上に置いておいた。
ashita no kaigi ni sonaete, shiryou o kopii shite tsukue no ue ni oite oita.
In preparation for tomorrow's meeting, I made copies of the materials and left them on the desk.