to go on doing, to change from now on

Te-form plus いく describes change or continuation moving away from the present into the future, or an action done before going somewhere. With change verbs it means things will keep changing from here on. Contrast てくる, which moves toward the speaker or the present.

Examples

• これから寒さむくなっていきます。

  Korekara samuku natte ikimasu.

  It will keep getting colder from now on.

• 日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうする人ひとは増ふえていくでしょう。

  Nihongo o benkyou suru hito wa fuete iku deshou.

  The number of people studying Japanese will probably keep increasing.

Vocabulary in these examples

• これ this
• 寒い cold (weather)
• なる to become
• 日本語 Japanese language
• 勉強 study
• する to do

Related patterns · Te-form compounds

• 〜てしまう to finish completely; to do regrettably
• 〜ておく to do in advance, to leave as is
• 〜てみる to try doing and see
• 〜てくる to start to, to have changed up to now