Grammar JLPT Level N4 - Lesson 12

Structure of ～ておく:

Verb［て］+ おく
Verb［て］ +とく

Details about ～ておく:

When the conjunction particle て is followed by the う-Verb 置(お)く in Japanese, it regularly has the meaning of 'to do (A) in advance'. 置(お)く as a verb itself means 'to place something' (down), but also has the nuance 'to leave something alone', or to 'drop something' (like a topic). In this way, ておく can be thought of as meaning 'to do (A) and leave it (until later)'.

寝(ね)る前(まえ)に食器(しょっき)を洗(あら)っておく。
Before sleeping, I will wash the dishes in advance. (So that it does not need to be done later)
あなたの財布(さいふ)を鞄(かばん)に入れておきます。
I am going to put your wallet in your bag. (So that you won't forget it later)
予約(よやく)しておくね。
I am going to make a reservation in advance. (So that the bookings don't fill up while we wait)

When using ておく, the 'future event' that the (A) action is being done for may be something that is coming soon, or may be something that the speaker doesn't want to ever come. Due to this, ておく is also regularly used when the speaker is doing something specifically to prevent another thing from happening.

毎日(まいにち)歯(は)を磨(みが)いておくと、虫歯(むしば)が防(ふせ)ぎます。
If you brush your teeth everyday, you will be able to prevent cavities. (That may or may not come in the future)

～ておく

Usage Notes for ～ておく:

ておく is sometimes contracted to とく (or どく in verbs where て would usually be said as で). Although this is not excessively common in conversation, it is very common in drama, manga, and similar media.

机(つくえ)の上(うえ)に明日(あした)の旅行(りょこう)に必要(ひつよう)なパスポートを置(お)いとくね。
I am going to leave the passport we need for the trip tomorrow on top of the table in advance. (So that I won't forget it later)
水筒(すいとう)に水(みず)を汲(く)んどくね。
I am going to fill this thermos up with water in advance. (So that it is available when I am thirsty)