When does てきた take place? Is it representing an ongoing change or not?


Quick Notice: For many months now I've been struggling with **てくる** and it's
exact meaning when dealing with time flow and indication of change. I do
however, understand, when it is used with movement or some action that is
coming towards the speaker (I think). I have looked at numerous resources
including other posts on here, youtube videos and grammar guides alike.  

Anyhow, here I have listed out example sentences with the English translations
that were provided:

  1. > 涼しくなっ **てきた**   
>  It's **getting** cooler.  
>  It's **starting to** get cooler.

Obviously here the big difference between the translations is that the second
translation indicates that the gradual change from hot to cool has just
started whereas the first translation doesn't give a time frame for the
starting point at all. The first translation sounds like it has been getting
cooler for sometime perhaps. I suppose I just don't understand which
interpretation is correct or more accurate, or if they are both accurate
(somehow)? I also don't understand why both English translations are in the
present perfect tense and why this change didn't occur in the past?

  2. > お城が見え **てきた** 。  
>  The castle **is** **coming** into view.  
>

Again with this translation it sounds like maybe the castle has been coming
into view for a while. Nothing has indicated that the change has just started.
Could it also be interpreted as, "The castle started coming in to view."?
Also, again, why is the gradual change here, interpreted to be in an ongoing
state and not in the past like the next examples?

  3. > 日本語が話せるようになっ **てきた** 。  
>  I **have gotten** good at speaking Japanese.

  4. > 日本での生活に慣れ **てきた** 。  
>  I **have gotten** used to life in Japan.

  5. > 日本語学習者の数が増え **てきた** 。  
>  The number of people studying Japanese **has** **increased**.

In these translations (3-5), the gradual change is indicated to be sometime in
the past and it doesn't indicate whether the gradual change is on going or
not. In comparison, the first two translations indicate that the gradual
change is still ongoing.

How can I tell when **てきた** is indicating a change from the past 'till the
present vs change that is just starting like the first two examples? Also how
can I tell if it's something that is still ongoing or if the change is in the
past? This has been a total mess in my head for so long now, if anyone could
provide me with insight that would be great, thanks!




First of all, `[V て-form]-きた` is a somewhat subjective expression in the sense
that whatever has _come_ has come to the speaker. For example, when you say
涼しくなってきた, you are experiencing the coolness yourself. The sentence doesn’t say
when the change started to happen, but it implies you, as the speaker, have
just noticed it and perceive it as ongoing. If you perceive it as a one-time
change in the past, you would say 涼しくなった.

It’s hard to pinpoint the beginning of the change in the case of 涼しくなってきた. It
could be days or even weeks earlier. This lack of a clear beginning suggests
the change is gradual. The change in, say, 雨が降ってきた, on the other hand, is
instantaneous and more obvious, and therefore, you are expected to notice it
soon after it happens. In such a case, the construct is understood as
indicating that something has just begun to change. You don’t need to get wet,
but you still perceive the rain as your own experience. If you are talking
about rain in some remote place as an objective observer, you would say
雨が降り始めた or 雨が降り出した, instead.

The change in お城が見えてきた could be either gradual or instantaneous. The most
likely scenario would be that you are moving towards the castle, and at one
point it comes into your view from behind whatever was blocking it. It’s hard
to not notice something when it has just come into your view like that. If you
don’t notice it, it’s still out of your view, after all. Then, the sentence is
understood as indicating something has just begun to change just like 雨が降ってきた.
However, it’s also possible that your view was obscured by clouds, mist, or
some problem with your eyes, and as it gets cleared up, the castle has become
visible. This would be a gradual change. This distinction is a relative one.
You might even say 涼しくなってきた in response to a sudden drop in the temperature in
an air-conditioned room, for that matter. What’s important is you have just
come to realization and you are experiencing it.

Your last three sentences also imply the change is ongoing as the speaker
perceives or observes it. Otherwise, you would use simple た-forms. If this
distinction is hard to express in English, it could be due to the subjective
nature of the construct. The last sentence might not sound as subjective as
the others, but you are still speaking from within the environment where the
change is going on.




First of all, `[V て-form]-きた` is a somewhat subjective expression in the sense
that whatever has _come_ has come to the speaker. For example, when you say
涼しくなってきた, you are experiencing the coolness yourself. The sentence doesn’t say
when the change started to happen, but it implies you, as the speaker, have
just noticed it and perceive it as ongoing. If you perceive it as a one-time
change in the past, you would say 涼しくなった.

It’s hard to pinpoint the beginning of the change in the case of 涼しくなってきた. It
could be days or even weeks earlier. This lack of a clear beginning suggests
the change is gradual. The change in, say, 雨が降ってきた, on the other hand, is
instantaneous and more obvious, and therefore, you are expected to notice it
soon after it happens. In such a case, the construct is understood as
indicating that something has just begun to change. You don’t need to get wet,
but you still perceive the rain as your own experience. If you are talking
about rain in some remote place as an objective observer, you would say
雨が降り始めた or 雨が降り出した, instead.

The change in お城が見えてきた could be either gradual or instantaneous. The most
likely scenario would be that you are moving towards the castle, and at one
point it comes into your view from behind whatever was blocking it. It’s hard
to not notice something when it has just come into your view like that. If you
don’t notice it, it’s still out of your view, after all. Then, the sentence is
understood as indicating something has just begun to change just like 雨が降ってきた.
However, it’s also possible that your view was obscured by clouds, mist, or
some problem with your eyes, and as it gets cleared up, the castle has become
visible. This would be a gradual change. This distinction is a relative one.
You might even say 涼しくなってきた in response to a sudden drop in the temperature in
an air-conditioned room, for that matter. What’s important is you have just
come to realization and you are experiencing it.

Your last three sentences also imply the change is ongoing as the speaker
perceives or observes it. Otherwise, you would use simple た-forms. If this
distinction is hard to express in English, it could be due to the subjective
nature of the construct. The last sentence might not sound as subjective as
the others, but you are still speaking from within the environment where the
change is going on.

