The most common way to mark an action as continuous (e.g. “is eating”) in Japanese is to use the ている transcribed te iru form.
However, there are a number of other endings that can also be used to mark an action as “in progress”, including:
- 〜ているところだTranscription: te iru tokoro da
- 〜つつあるTranscription: tsutsu aru
- 〜続けるTranscription: tsuzukeru
In this post, we’ll quickly review when to use the ている transcribed te iru form, then focus on these other continuous expressions. We’ll discuss when to use these and some related expressions, what makes them different from each other, and what makes them different from the ている transcribed te iru form.
Ready to have a look? Let’s get started!
The ている [te iru] form: A quick review
The ている transcribed te iru form is the most common way to mark an action as continuous in Japanese. As a result it’s often the first continuous form that Japanese learners will encounter.
- 音楽を聞いている。Transcription: Ongaku o kiite iru.Translation: I am listening to music.
- 今、服を着ている。Transcription: Ima, fuku o kite iru.Translation: I am putting on my clothes now.
Formed by combining the te-form of a verb with the helping verb いる transcribed iru, this form can be used for an action that:
is happening / was happening
has been happening / had been happening
used happen
has happened / had happened
So though this form is often used to mark continuous actions, it’s not only used for this purpose. In the sections below, we’ll look through some other ways to mark continuous actions, and compare them to the ている transcribed te iru form.
Are you thinking you might want to review this form before you go further? Check out our introduction to the ている transcribed te iru form to refresh your memory!
〜ているところだ [te iru tokoro da] for “in the middle of…”
The ending 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da, or variations on it like 〜ているところです transcribed te iru tokoro desu, is used to highlight that an action right in the middle of happening. It’s made by combining three parts:
Verb
〜ている transcribed te iru
ところ transcribed tokoro
a place / state
だ transcribed da / です transcribed desu
state-of-being ending
Literally, then, this ending means something like “be in a place/state of verbing.”
Let’s look at some examples of when you might use this ending!
- 母は電話をかけているところだ。Transcription: Haha wa denwa o kakete iru tokoro da.Translation: My mother is (right in the middle of) calling on the phone.
- 新しい車を買おうかどうか迷っているところです。Transcription: Atarashii kuruma o kaō ka dō ka mayotte iru tokoro desu.Translation: (I) am (currently) wondering if I should buy a new car or not.
If you change the tense of the state-of-being ending, you can use this to talk about something someone was right in the middle of doing as well.
Endings with this structure are frequenlty used with adverbs like ちょうど transcribed chōdomeaning just; exactly at the moment or 今ちょうど transcribed ima chōdomeaning just now.
〜ているところだ [te iru tokoro da] vs. 〜ている [te iru]
Though both 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da and 〜ている transcribed te iru can mark an action in progress. While there are many cases where either one is possible, there are some cases where you’ll want to choose one over the other. Let’s look at a few of the differences between these two endings.
You should not use 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da unless someone is actively and intentionally doing something. While it’s not technically ungrammatical, it sounds much better to just use 〜ている transcribed te iru with these verbs.
- ❓ 雨が降っているところです。Transcription: Ame ga futte iru tokoro desu.Translation: It’s in the middle of raining.
- ✅ 雨が降っています。Transcription: Ame ga futte imasu.Translation: It’s raining.
〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da focuses more on the state, situation, or scene.
- ✅この写真は息子がサッカーをしているところです。Transcription: Kono shashin wa musuko ga sakkā o shite iru tokoro desu.Translation: This picture is (shows) that my son playing soccer.This ending is appropriate because it describes a scene in which the son is playing soccer.
- ❌この写真は息子がサッカーをしています。Transcription: Kono shashin wa musuko ga sakkā o shite imasu.
〜ている transcribed te iru focuses on the action itself.
- ✅あ！瑞樹がピアノを弾いている。Transcription: A! Mizuki ga piano o hiite iru.Translation: Look! Mizuki is playing the piano.Here, the action is actually happening, right in front of the speaker, so 〜ている transcribed te iru is better.
- ❌あ！瑞樹がピアノを弾いているところだ。Transcription: A! Mizuki ga piano o hiite iru tokoro da.
〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da captures the flow of time in a continuous line. Using this ending implies the action or event it marks is connected to the next action or event. Let’s imagine someone asks this question:
Question:今、何をしているの？Transcription: Ima, nani o shite iru no?Translation: What are you doing now?If you are sitting and looking out the window, and that’s all you’re doing, the most natural way to answer is with the 〜ている transcribed te iru form.
Answer 1:窓の外を見てるよ。Transcription: Mado no soto o miteru yo.Translation: (I) am looking out the window.This is more natural if this is the complete answer to the question.However, if the fact you’re looking out the window is the first action involved in a larger activity, using 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da would be more appropriate.
Answer 2:え？もうお父さん帰ってくるかなって、窓の外、見てるところだよ。驚かすために隠れようと思って。Transcription: E? Mō otōsan kaette kuru kana tte, mado no soto, miteru tokoro da yo. Odorokasu tame ni kakureyō to omotte.Translation: Huh? Just wondering if Dad will be home soon, so I am (in the midst of) looking out the window. (I) thought that I’d hide to surprise him.If you don’t want to tell someone that whole story, you can imply that a larger story is there just answer using 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da, but usually your listener would need to have some context.
Answer 2 (revised):窓の外を見てるところだよ。Transcription: Mado no soto o miteru tokoro da yo.Translation: I am in the midst of looking out the window.Note, though, that this answer only works if you want to imply that your action is connected to some other process or situation!You can use 〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da as a way to indirectly ask someone to wait until you’re finished with the action you’re in the middle of.
Child:おかーさーん、ちょっとこっち来て。Transcription: Okāsān, chotto kocchi kite.Translation: Mom! Come over here a bit, please.Mother:今ご飯作っているところ！(だから、待ってて。)Transcription: Ima gohan tsukutte iru tokoro! (Dakara, matte te.)Translation: (I)’m in the middle of making a meal now. (So wait.)In a context like this, the 〜ている transcribed te iru form would be grammatical, but would make the mother’s answer sound like she was simply telling the child what she was doing, rather than like it was an explanation for why the child should wait.
〜つつある [tsutsu aru] for gradual changes
The ending 〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is added to a verb when you want to express that the action is gradually causing a change, in one particular direction.
The ending 〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is always added to the masu-stem of the verb, which is the polite form, with the 〜ます transcribed -masu ending removed.
verb
masu-stem
You can change the form of the verb ある transcribed aru to reflect the tense or politeness, but this ending is never used in the negative form.
〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is used to mark ongoing gradual changes in a certain direction.
- この国の観光業は成長しつつある。Transcription: Kono kuni no kankōgyō wa seichō shi tsutsu aru.Translation: This country’s tourism industry is growing.We are probably watching this change happen gradually, over months or years.
- 大型の台風が九州地方に近づきつつあります。Transcription: Ōgata no taifū ga kyūshū chihō ni chikazuki tsutsu arimasu.Translation: A large typhoon is approaching the Kyushu region.People are probably watching this approach on the weather report, over a period of days.
〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is often attached to verbs of change like the ones below:
- 増えるTranscription: fueruTranslation: to increase
- 減るTranscription: heruTranslation: to decrease
- 完成するTranscription: kansei suruTranslation: to complete
- 終わるTranscription: owaruTranslation: to end
- 消えるTranscription: kieruTranslation: to disappear
When used with a verb of completion, this implies that the gradual change is almost finished, but not quite.
- 彼女の作品は完成しつつある。Transcription: Kanojo no sakuhin wa kansei shi tsutsu aru.Translation: Her work is finishing up.
- 現金を持ち歩くという習慣は消えつつある。Transcription: Genkin o mochiaruku to iu shūkan wa kie tsutsu aru.Translation: The custom of walking around with cash is disappearing.
You may often see adverbs that describe gradual changes used with sentences like the ones below.
- だんだんTranscription: dandanTranslation: gradually
- 少しずつTranscription: sukoshi zutsuTranslation: little by little
- 次第にTranscription: shidai niTranslation: eventually
- 徐々にTranscription: jojo niTranslation: gradually
For example:
〜つつある [tsutsu aru] vs. 〜ている [te iru]
Both 〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru and 〜ている transcribed te iru show the continuation of an action and there are many situations where the two can both be used. However, there are a couple of cases where one can be used but the other cannot:
While 〜ている transcribed te iru is common in spoken and written language, 〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is mostly used in written language. It isn’t used much in speech.
You usually will not use 〜つつある (tsutsu aru) to mark everyday actions that someone is performing on purpose. That’s because actions like eating, washing, walking, speaking, or listening to music, do not usually lead to gradual change over time.
❌ 私は今ご飯を食べつつあります。Transcription: Watashi wa ima gohan o tabe tsutsu arimasu.Translation: I am eating a meal (little by little) now.In a situation like this, it’s better to use 〜ている transcribed te iru.
✅ 私は今ご飯を食べています。Transcription: Watashi wa ima gohan o tabete imasu.Translation: I am eating a meal now.When 〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru is used with an instantaneous verb, it takes the change that verb describes and stretches it out, making that change gradual.
ろうそくの火が消えつつあります。Transcription: Rōsoku no hi ga kie tsutsu arimasu.Translation: The candle’s flame is going out.Gradually, the candle is flickering lower and lower.When we mark a similar verb with 〜ている transcribed te iru, though, we understand that the action itself is finished, and it’s the resulting state that continues.
ろうそくの火が消えています。Transcription: Rōsoku no hi ga kiete imasu.Translation: The candle’s flame has gone out.It went out in a moment, and now it continues to not be lit.
〜続ける [tsuzukeru] for “keep on doing…”
The ending 〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru is used a lot like the expression “keep on verb-ing” in English. It can mark one action or condition that continues without a break (e.g. “kept on sleeping”) or an action that repeats over and over (e.g. “kept on interrupting”).
We use this pattern to emphasize that an action, habit, or change doesn’t finish within a short period of time.
- あの歌手は三十年間もトップスターとして歌い続けた。Transcription: Ano kashu wa sanjūnenkan mo toppusutā to shite utai tsuzuketa.Translation: That singer continued singing as a top star for thirty years.
- コンサートが始まっても、彼女はしゃべり続けた。Transcription: Konsāto ga hajimatte mo, kanojo wa shaberi tsuzuketa.Translation: Even after the concert started, she kept on talking.
- 一日中コンピュータの画面を見続けると、目が痛くなる。Transcription: Ichinichijū konpyūtā no gamen o mi tsuzukeru to, me ga itaku naru.Translation: When (I) keep looking at a computer screen all day long, my eyes (become) hurt.
The ending 〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru attaches to the masu-stem of the verb (the polite form without the 〜ます transcribed -masu ending removed).
Verb
masu-stem
〜続ける [tsuzukeru] vs. 〜ている [te iru]
Although usually you can use 〜ている transcribed te iru anywhere where 〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru would be appropriate, there is a difference in meaning. Using 〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru emphasizes the continuation of an action, habit, or situation, while 〜ている transcribed te iru purely shows that the action is in progress or habitual:
- 自転車じゃなくて、バスで通学し続ける。Transcription: Jitensha ja nakute, basu de tsūgaku shi tsuzukeru.Translation: (I) will keep taking the bus to school instead of by bicycle (for a while).
- 自転車じゃなくて、バスで通学している。Transcription: Jitensha ja nakute, basu de tsūgaku shite iru.Translation: (I) take / am taking the bus to school instead of by bicycle.
Additionally, because 〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru is only used to discuss long-term durations, it cannot be used to discuss an action that’s in progress at a specific moment.
The 〜ている transcribed te iru form, though, is often used for this.
To sum up
In this post, we looked at the most common ways to discuss continuous or ongoing actions in Japanese, beyond just using the 〜ている transcribed te iru form. Here’s a quick summary of your options!
〜ている transcribed te iru → The most versatile form, used for general actions in progress, results of changes, or habitual actions.
音楽を聞いている 。Transcription: Ongaku o kiite iru.Translation: I am listening to music.〜ているところだ transcribed te iru tokoro da → Use this to emphasize that you are right in the middle of an action.
母は電話をかけているところだ 。Transcription: Haha wa denwa o kakete iru tokoro da.Translation: My mother is (right in the middle of) calling on the phone.〜つつある transcribed tsutsu aru → This form is best for formal, written contexts to describe a gradual change happening in a specific direction. It is often used with verbs of change like “to increase” or “to disappear.”
この国の観光業は成長しつつある 。Transcription: Kono kuni no kankōgyō wa seichō shi tsutsu aru.Translation: This country’s tourism industry is growing (little-by-little).〜続ける transcribed tsuzukeru → Attach this to a verb’s masu-stem to show that an action or habit continues over a long period without a break.
彼女はしゃべり続けた。Transcription: Kanojo wa shaberi tsuzuketa.Translation: She kept on talking.
Ready to practice what you learned? Check out our Japanese continuous forms activities to test your skills! Happy learning!
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