〜ておく

JLPT N4 Japanese self-study　·　~10 min　·　Do something in advance / prepare ahead

'Book the hotel before the trip.' 'Read the materials before the meeting.' ておく expresses doing something in preparation for what comes next.

What you'll learn

• Form ておく: て-form + おく
• Use ておく for advance preparation
• Distinguish ておく from てみる and てしまう

How to study “〜ておく”

“〜ておく” (Do something in advance / prepare ahead) is a JLPT N4 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 10 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.