Verb て-form + いく

[Movement Away / Continuing Change into Future]

Connection: Verb て-form + いく

This pattern has two main meanings, both involving movement or change away from the current point.

1. Physical movement away from speaker: Indicates doing an action while moving away or taking something away.

• 本を持っていく (take/bring a book [going])
• 走っていく (run away/go running)
• 帰っていく (go back/return)

2. Continuing change into the future: Expresses a change or trend that will continue from now into the future.

• 暖かくなっていく (it will keep getting warmer)
• 上手になっていく (will gradually become better)
• 忘れていく (will gradually forget)

Comparison with てくる: てくる is the opposite direction:

• てくる = toward speaker / from past to present (持ってくる = bring here; 暖かくなってきた = has gotten warmer)
• ていく = away from speaker / from present into future (持っていく = take there; 暖かくなっていく = will get warmer)

Examples:

• 傘を持っていったほうがいいよ。(You should take an umbrella with you.)
• これから日本語がもっと上手になっていくと思います。(I think my Japanese will keep getting better from now on.)
• 彼は黙って歩いていった。(He walked away silently.)