How to Say “Do in advance / Prepare” in Japanese | 〜ておきます (…te okimasu) | JLPT N4 Grammar

2025/12/27

The Japanese expression ～ておきます is a very common N4 grammar pattern used in daily conversation.
It has several meanings, such as preparation, leaving something as it is, and taking a measure. However, in this column, we will focus only on the meaning of “preparation.”

When and How It’s Used

The pattern ～ておきます (preparation) is used when you do something ahead of time in order to prepare for a future action, event, or situation.

This grammar is commonly used when:

• You want to prepare for a scheduled plan or appointment
  
• You do something beforehand to avoid problems later
  
• You make things ready so you can act smoothly in the future
  

The key point is intention and foresight.
The speaker is not describing an action that happened by chance, but one done with a future purpose in mind.

In conversation, ～ておきます sounds natural and practical, and it often implies thoughtfulness or responsibility. It is frequently used in everyday situations such as work, travel, studying, or daily life planning.

See How it’s used in conversation

This video will help you understand how is used ～ておきます in everyday Japanese conversations. Watch and repeat to improve your listening and speaking skills!

Sentence Pattern

Verb (て-form) + おきます

• 読む → 読んでおきます
  
• 買う → 買っておきます
  
• 調べる → 調べておきます
  

This form can also be used in the past tense when talking about preparation that has already been completed:

• ～ておきました
  

The verb before ～ておきます must describe an action that can reasonably be done before something else happens.

• ～ておいてください

When you ask someone to prepare something, you use ～ておきます in the request form and say ～ておいてください.

Examples

1. 旅行のために、ホテルを予約しておきました。
   Ryokō no tame ni, hoteru o yoyaku shite okimashita.
   I booked the hotel in advance for the trip.

2. あとで困らないように、電話番号をメモしておきます。
   Ato de komaranai yō ni, denwa bangō o memo shite okimasu.
   I’ll write down the phone number so I won’t have trouble later.

3. テストの前に、この漢字を復習しておきました。
   Tesuto no mae ni, kono kanji o fukushū shite okimashita.
   I reviewed these kanji in advance before the test.

4. 会議の前に、資料をコピーしておいてください。
   Kaigi no mae ni, shiryō o kopī shite oitekudasai.
   please make copies of the documents before the meeting.

In Summary

The grammar pattern ～ておきます (preparation) is used to express actions done in advance with a clear future purpose.
It helps you explain that you are preparing thoughtfully for what comes next, whether it is a meeting, trip, test, or daily task.

Using ～ておきます makes your Japanese sound more natural, practical, and considerate—just like a native speaker planning ahead.

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