JLPT N4 grammar
〜ておく / 〜とく — Meaning & Examples
Do in advance and leave it ready. 予約しておく = book ahead. Casual contraction: やっとく = I will get it done.
〜ておく — Doing It in Advance
Once you have 他動詞 under control, 〜ておく becomes easy — and you will use it constantly.
Formation: transitive verb て-form + おく
Meaning: do something in advance, in preparation, and leave it done.
ホテルを予約しておきます。
= I will book the hotel in advance.
ビールを冷やしておいたよ。
= I chilled the beer ahead of time.
会議の前に資料を読んでおいてください。
= Please read the documents before the meeting.
The relationship:
〜ておく = the action of preparing
〜てある = the result of that preparation
予約しておいた → 予約してある
"I booked it in advance" → "it is booked (and ready)"
Casual shortcut: ておく → とく
やっとくね。 = I will get it done. (casual, very common)
買っとく。 = I will buy it (ahead of time).
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜ておく / 〜とく. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. ビールを冷やしておいた means?
- The beer is cold
- I chilled the beer in advance
- Someone chilled the beer
- I am chilling the beer now
Show answer
Answer: I chilled the beer in advance
〜ておく = do something in advance and leave it ready. 冷やしておいた = I chilled it ahead of time.
2. The casual contraction of 〜ておく is?
- 〜とく
- 〜てある
- 〜ちゃう
- 〜てく
Show answer
Answer: 〜とく
ておく → とく. やっとくね = I will get it done. 買っとく = I will buy it ahead of time.
Practise 〜ておく / 〜とく in the free app
This point is part of the “🚪 Verb Pairs — 自動詞 & 他動詞” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N4 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N4 grammar points
From the same lesson: 🚪 Verb Pairs — 自動詞 & 他動詞
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜ておく / 〜とく mean?
Do in advance and leave it ready. 予約しておく = book ahead. Casual contraction: やっとく = I will get it done.
Is 〜ておく / 〜とく on the JLPT N4 test?
〜ておく / 〜とく is taught in the JLPT N4 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “🚪 Verb Pairs — 自動詞 & 他動詞”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜ておく / 〜とく?
Open the “🚪 Verb Pairs — 自動詞 & 他動詞” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N4 mock exams, with no ads.