置(お)く

おく
verb (godan)
to put, to place
他動詞 transitiveaction
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present置(お)く置(お)かない
Present polite置(お)きます置(お)きません
Past置(お)いた置(お)かなかった
Past polite置(お)きました置(お)きませんでした
て form置(お)いて置(お)かなくて
ている present置(お)いている置(お)いていない
ている polite置(お)いています置(お)いていません
ている past置(お)いていた置(お)いていなかった
ている past polite置(お)いていました置(お)いていませんでした
Conditional ば置(お)けば置(お)かなければ
Conditional たら置(お)いたら置(お)かなかったら
Volitional置(お)こう—
Volitional polite置(お)きましょう—
Potential置(お)ける置(お)けない
Passive置(お)かれる置(お)かれない
Causative置(お)かせる置(お)かせない
Imperative置(お)け置(お)くな
1. to put, to place
To physically put or place something in a location. The item being placed is marked with を and the location with に.
本(ほん)を机(つくえ)の上(うえ)に置(お)いてください。
Please put the book on the desk.
ここに荷物(にもつ)を置(お)いてもいいですか。
May I put my luggage here?
鍵(かぎ)はどこに置(お)きましたか。
Where did you put the key?
花瓶(かびん)を窓際(まどぎわ)に置(お)いた。
I put the vase by the window.
傘(かさ)を玄関(げんかん)に置(お)いてきた。
I left my umbrella at the entrance.
2. to do in advance; to leave (as is)
To leave something in a particular state or position, or (as the auxiliary 〜ておく) to do something beforehand in preparation. Many of the examples below show this preparatory 〜ておく use.
窓(まど)を開(あ)けておきます。
I'll leave the window open.
～ておく construction indicating leaving something in a state
試験(しけん)の前(まえ)に、教科書(きょうかしょ)を読(よ)んでおいたほうがいいですよ。
You should read the textbook before the exam.
～ておく for preparation
そのままにしておいてください。
Please leave it as is.
買(か)っておいた野菜(やさい)を使(つか)った。
I used the vegetables I had bought in advance.
予約(よやく)しておきますね。
I'll make a reservation in advance.

Transitivity: 他動詞(たどうし) (transitive). There is no intransitive pair verb. Basic pattern: XをYに置(お)く — put X at/on Y.

Aspect: 置(お)く names the moment of setting something down, so plain ている is progressive or habitual, not a resulting state. To say that something has been left somewhere, use てある or the passive:

Common patterns

AUXILIARY 〜ておく (sense 2): three related jobs, all of them about the state you want to be in afterwards.
1. Do it in advance so it is ready: 予約(よやく)しておく (book ahead)
2. Leave something as it is: そのままにしておく (leave it alone)
3. Deal with it now and let the result stand: 窓(まど)を開(あ)けておく (open the window and leave it open)
In speech 〜ておく contracts to 〜とく and 〜でおく to 〜どく: 買(か)っておく becomes 買(か)っとく, and 読(よ)んでおく becomes 読(よ)んどく.

Similar words

  • 入(い)れる puts something inside a container or enclosed space; 置(お)く puts it down on a surface.
  • 乗(の)せる sets one thing on top of another, with the support in view; 置(お)く just says where it ended up.
  • 並(なら)べる puts several things down in an arrangement.
  • 仕舞(しま)う puts something away where it belongs — the opposite move from leaving it out.

Orthography: when 置(お)く is a full verb (put something somewhere) it is written in kanji. As the auxiliary 〜ておく it is written in hiragana: 買(か)っておく, not 〜て置(お)く. The same kana-for-auxiliary rule applies to Japanese auxiliary verbs generally.

Related Words

Compare: 入(い)れる (to put in (a container), vs. putting down on a surface)
Compare: 仕舞(しま)う (to put away, vs. leaving something out)
Related: 放(ほう)っておく (to leave alone (fixed 〜ておく expression))
Compare: 乗(の)せる (sets one thing on top of another…)
Compare: 並(なら)べる (puts several things down…)
Compare: 安置(あんち) (enshrinement)
Compare: 設置(せっち)する (to set up)
basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:51 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29
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