〜ておきます
Get it done in advance
Do it now so that later you're glad you did. Preparation.
かっておきます
Same grammar, second picture: you did it and you're not undoing it.
あけておきます
ておく squeezes to とく in speech — かっとく, しとく.
かっとく
きっぷを かっておきましたか。
はい、かって おきました。
まえに しておく
Attach おきます to the て-form and you get preparation: doing something now so that later, it's already handled. Notice that おきます has stopped meaning “put down” — think “get it done and leave it done”. 🔊 Tap to hear.
て-form ＋ おきます — do it now, ahead of time, because later you'll be glad you did. The point isn't really the action; it's that you're setting things up in advance. おきます has stopped meaning “put down” here — think “get it done and leave it done”.
そのままに して おく
The very same 〜ておきます also means leave it that way — you did something and you're deliberately not undoing it. Nothing in the grammar changes; the situation tells you which one is meant. 🔊 Tap to hear.
The same 〜ておきます also means “leave it like that” — you did something, and you're deliberately not undoing it. Same grammar, two pictures, and context decides which: きっぷを かっておきます is getting ready, while まどを あけておきます is a window you're choosing to leave open.
〜とく
One more thing you'll hear constantly in casual speech: 〜ておく squeezes down to 〜とく (and 〜でおく to 〜どく).
Use 〜とく with friends, 〜ておきます with everyone else. If you're unsure which situation you're in, the long form is always safe.
クイズ
Six questions across both senses.
Question 1 / 6 · 0 correct