"Slurring" like a native: The secret of てる, とく, ちゃう

Have you ever wondered why your Japanese sounds a bit "stiff" and not as natural as a native speaker, even though you're using correct grammar? 🤔 One of the biggest secrets lies in the contracted forms that Japanese people use constantly in daily conversation.

These are things that textbooks often only touch on briefly, but they are the key to making your communication much more "real.". Let's explore the 3 most powerful contracted forms!

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1. 「〜ている」 (te iru) → 「〜てる」 (teru)

This is the most common contracted form, used to describe an ongoing action or a state.

🧑‍🏫 Textbook:

今、ご飯を食べています。(Ima, gohan o tabete imasu.)

😎 Real life:

今、ご飯食べてる。(Ima, gohan tabeteru.)

Sounds completely different, right? Just by dropping the 「い」, your sentence becomes much more intimate and concise.

Other examples:

• 何を見てるの？ (Nani o miteru no?) - What are you watching? (instead of 見ていますか)
• まだ寝てるよ。(Mada neteru yo.) - Still sleeping. (instead of 寝ています)

👉 Note: Use in casual relationships, with friends, and family. With superiors or in formal situations, stick with 「〜ています」!

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2. 「〜ておく」 (te oku) → 「〜とく」 (toku)

「〜ておく」 means "to do something in advance as preparation." Japanese people almost always shorten it to 「〜とく」 in spoken language.

📝 Textbook:

旅行の前に、ホテルを予約しておきます。(Ryokou no mae ni, hoteru o yoyaku shite okimasu.)

✅ Real life:

旅行の前に、ホテルを予約しとくね。(Ryokou no mae ni, hoteru o yoyaku shitoku ne.)

Other examples:

• これ、冷蔵庫に入れといてくれる？ (Kore, reizouko ni iretoite kureru?) - Can you put this in the fridge for me? (instead of 入れておいて)
• 後で読むから、そこに置いといて。(Ato de yomu kara, soko ni oitoite.) - I'll read it later, so just leave it there. (instead of 置いておいて)

⚡ Cool tip: If the verb ends in 「〜で」, it becomes 「〜どく」. Example: 読んでおく (yonde oku) → 読んどく (yon doku).

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3. 「〜てしまう」 (te shimau) → 「〜ちゃう」 (chau)

This form has two main meanings: (1) to do something accidentally (regret), or (2) to finish something completely (completion). In both cases, Japanese people prefer the contracted form.

😭 Textbook (Accidentally did something):

大事な書類を忘れてしまいました。(Daiji na shorui o wasurete shimaimashita.)

😅 Real life:

やばい、大事な書類、忘れちゃった！(Yabai, daiji na shorui, wasurechatta!)

😋 Textbook (Finished something):

ケーキを全部食べてしまいました。(Keeki o zenbu tabete shimaimashita.)

👍 Real life:

ケーキ、全部食べちゃった。(Keeki, zenbu tabechatta.)

⚡ Cool tip: If the verb ends in 「〜で」, it becomes 「〜じゃう」. Example: 死んでしまう (shinde shimau) → 死んじゃう (shinjau).

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Conclusion

Mastering and fluently using the three contracted forms 「〜てる」「〜とく」「〜ちゃう」 will give your Japanese a huge leap in naturalness. It might be unfamiliar at first, but try listening to Japanese people speak and imitate them. Before you know it, it will become your reflex! 😉