connective N2 common casualwritten
〜ていては — if one keeps ~ing
〜ていては ・ ていては
Meaning
- if one keeps ~ing (then a bad result) — the ている continuous form under ては: a sustained action or state leading to an undesirable outcome
Key sentence
毎日ゲームばかりしていては、成績が下がる一方だ。
If you keep doing nothing but gaming every day, your grades will only drop.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ている → ていて + は | Vていて + は + [bad result] | 悩んでいては前に進めない |
Examples
そんなに緊張していては、実力が出せない。
If you stay that nervous, you won't be able to show your true ability.
人の意見ばかり気にしていては、何も決められない。
If you keep worrying about everyone's opinion, you'll never decide anything.
When you can't use it
- ていては stresses an ONGOING action or state as the cause; for a single act, plain ては suffices. The result is undesirable, as with all ては.
Easily confused with
See 〜ていては in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜ていては the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.