Four essential N4 て-form extensions you need to master: ておく, てしまう, てみる, and てほしい. This guide covers all four with JLPT-style practice questions.
At a Glance
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ておく | Do in advance | 予約しておく (book in advance) |
| 〜てしまう | Completely do / accidentally do | 食べてしまった (ate it all) |
| 〜てみる | Try doing | 食べてみる (try eating) |
| 〜てほしい | Want (someone) to do | 来てほしい (want you to come) |
〜てほしい — Want Someone to Do
〜てほしい expresses your DESIRE for someone else to do something. Different from たい (your own desire):
早く来てほしい。 — I want you to come quickly.
もっと話してほしかった。 — I wanted (them) to talk more.
Polite: 〜ていただきたい — I would like you to (formal/business)
Quick Comparison
| Pattern | Whose desire | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜たい | I want to do it myself | 食べたい (I want to eat) |
| 〜てほしい | I want someone ELSE to do | 食べてほしい (I want you to eat) |
| 〜たがる | Describing 3rd person’s want | 食べたがっている (they want to eat) |
YukaIn JLPT N4, which of these four is tested most?
Reiてしまう and ておく appear very frequently. For てしまう, tests check if you know the regret vs completion nuance. For ておく, tests check if you know it means ‘preparation for later’ vs just doing something now. てほしい is also tested — specifically distinguishing it from たい.
YukaAny tips for てしまう mistakes in JLPT?
ReiWatch for the ‘accidental’ nuance! If the sentence says something unintended happened (like forgetting, breaking, or doing something wrong), choose てしまう. Also remember: the casual spoken form ちゃった/ちゃう appears in dialogue questions — 全部食べちゃった！ = I ate it all!
JLPT Practice Questions
Choose the correct pattern:
1. Before the trip, I’ll prepare my luggage. → 旅行前に荷物を___。→ 用意しておく
2. Oh no, I forgot my wallet! → 財布を___！→ 忘れてしまった
3. Try calling him once. → 一度彼に___。→ 電話してみて
4. I want you to come to my party. → パーティーに___。→ 来てほしい
Quick Quiz
1. Casual spoken form of てしまう? → 〜ちゃう (chau) / 〜ちゃった (chatta)
2. Casual spoken form of ておく? → 〜とく (toku) / 〜といた (toita)
3. What’s the difference between したい and してほしい? → したい = I want to do; してほしい = I want YOU to do
Practice in the Comments!
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Keep Learning: JLPT Study Guide | ておく vs てしまう | てみる Guide
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