ついていく

also: ついてゆく

つ

い

て

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Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

ついて行く · godan verb (iku/yuku class)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	ついて行いく	ついて行いかない
Polite	ついて行いきます	ついて行いきません
Past polite	ついて行いきました	ついて行いきませんでした
Past	ついて行いった	ついて行いかなかった
Te-form	ついて行いって	ついて行いかないで
Desire	ついて行いきたい	ついて行いきたくない
Potential	ついて行いける	ついて行いけない
Passive	ついて行いかれる	ついて行いかれない
Causative	ついて行いかせる	ついて行いかせない
Causative passive	ついて行いかせられるalso ついて行いかされる	ついて行いかせられないalso ついて行いかされない
Volitional	ついて行いこう
Polite volitional	ついて行いきましょう
Imperative	ついて行いけ	ついて行いくな
Conditional	ついて行いけば	ついて行いかなければ
Tara conditional	ついて行いったら	ついて行いかなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb

accompany; follow; keep up with

usually written using kana alone

Used when someone goes along with another person or group, physically following them or keeping pace. Can also imply keeping up with a trend or understanding.

友とも達だちの後うしろをついて行いった。
I followed behind my friend.
彼かれの話はなしが早はやすぎてついて行いけなかった。
He spoke too fast and I couldn't keep up.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉についていくto accompany/follow someone
弟おとうとは兄あにについていった。
The younger brother went along with his older brother.
〈事こと〉についていけないto be unable to keep up with something (a class, conversation, etc.)
授じゅ業ぎょうのスピードが速はやくて、ついていけない。
The class moves so fast that I can't keep up.
〈事こと〉の流ながれについていくto keep up with the trend/pace of something
時じ代だいの流ながれについていくのは大たい変へんだ。
It's hard to keep up with the trends of the times.

Kanji

行going, journey, carry out
付adhere, attach, refer to

Related words

従したがうN3
従う means to obey or comply with rules, orders, or a person's will, whereas ついて行く is about physically following or keeping pace with someone.
付つき添そうN1
付き添う emphasizes staying by someone's side to assist or accompany them (e.g. a caregiver), while ついて行く simply means going along with someone or keeping pace.
伴ともなうN2
伴う is a more formal, literary word for accompanying someone or something, whereas ついて行く is the everyday, conversational verb for following along.
追おうN3
追う means to chase or pursue, often with urgency or a goal, while ついて行く is a neutral following without necessarily trying to catch up.
ついてくるN3
付いていく describes following someone while moving away from the speaker's viewpoint, whereas 付いてくる describes following toward or with the speaker.

Opposites

遅おくれるN4
遅れる means to fall behind or lag, the opposite of the 'keep up with' sense of ついて行く.

Don't confuse with

ついてくるN3
ついて来る means someone follows toward the speaker's position (using 来る), while ついて行く means following away from the speaker (using 行く).

Written forms

ついて行く
- ついていく
  Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the verb 行く is written in kanji while the preceding part is in kana.
- ついてゆく
付いて行く
- ついていく
  Kanji form using 付; less common but still encountered.
- ついてゆく
ついてゆく
Kana spelling with the ゆく reading of 行く; slightly more literary or old-fashioned.

Etymology

Formed from the conjunctive form ついて of 付く “attach, accompany” and 行く “go.” It therefore means going while accompanying or following someone.