You do something now. This is to get ready for something later. You prepare ahead of time.
Verb [て-form] + おきますPrimary
You do something now. This is to get ready for something later. You prepare ahead of time.
来週のパーティーのために、飲み物をたくさん買っておきます。
I'll buy a lot of drinks in preparation for next week's party.
出張の前に、必要な書類を全部コピーしておきました。
Before the business trip, I copied all the necessary documents in advance.
後でまた使うので、パソコンは消さないでおきます。
I'll use it again later, so I'll leave the computer on (lit. won't turn it off).
エアコンはつけておきますから、ご自由にお使いください。
I'll leave the air conditioner on, so please feel free to use it.
田中さんは「旅行の前に切符を買っておきます」と言っていました。
Tanaka-san said, 'I'll buy the tickets before the trip'.
Imagine you are getting ready for something. Or you want to keep things as they are. This is like putting a sticky note on something important. You do it for later, or to remember how it is now.
This is a polite way to say "to do something in advance". The plain form is "〜ておく". You use it with friends. The even more casual form is "〜とく". You use this when speaking quickly.
Watch out: People often mix up "~te okimasu" and "~te arimasu". "~te okimasu" means you do something to get ready. It is about your action. For example, "I will prepare it." "~te arimasu" means something is already ready. It is about the state of things. For example, "It has been prepared." "~te okimasu" is about doing. "~te arimasu" is about being.
More formal alternatives(1)
Less formal alternatives(1)
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