immersionlog
Sign inCreate account

Casual contractions (〜てる・〜とく・〜ちゃ)

the shortened forms of ている, ておく, ては and では

ている → てる · ておく → とく · ては → ちゃ · では → じゃ

Sign up free to review this point on a spaced schedule.

Casual Japanese squeezes common patterns. You've met ちゃう (てしまう) and なきゃ (なければ); here are the others you'll hear constantly:

  • ている → てる: 何してるの?, "what are you doing?"; でいる → でる: 読んでる.
  • ておく → とく: 冷蔵庫に入れとくね, "I'll put it in the fridge"; でおく → どく.
  • ては → ちゃ: 撮っちゃだめ, "you can't take photos"; では → じゃ: 飲んじゃだめ.

They conjugate like the full forms: といた, といて; てた, てない.

These are normal speech, not slang, but they don't belong in writing or formal situations. Recognising them matters most: in anime, dramas and chat, the full forms are the unusual ones.

Register: Casual: everyday speech, messages and manga.

Examples

  • 今いま、何なにしてるの?

    What are you doing right now?

  • 飲のみ物ものは冷蔵庫れいぞうこに入いれとくね。

    I'll put the drinks in the fridge.

  • ここで写真しゃしんを撮とっちゃだめだよ。

    You're not allowed to take photos here.

  • 宿題しゅくだい、もうやっといたよ。

    I've already done the homework.

  • 雨あめ、まだ降ふってる?

    Is it still raining?

  • お酒さけを飲のんじゃだめ。

    You mustn't drink.

Related