つつある — In The Process Of (Ongoing Change)

Meaning & Usage

つつある describes something actively changing or progressing — not yet complete, but clearly moving in one direction. In English, it maps to phrases like "is in the process of," "is gradually doing," or "is becoming." The core nuance is directional movement: the emphasis falls on both the direction and continuity of the change.

つつある is a formal, literary expression. News articles, academic writing, government reports, and public announcements — these are its natural habitats. In everyday conversation it sounds stiff, almost like reading a headline aloud. For casual speech, ～ている or ～てきている is the right choice.

～ている covers both ongoing actions and resultant states. つつある, by contrast, focuses strictly on gradual, directional change. It pairs naturally with transformation verbs — words like 増加ぞうかする (to increase), 回復かいふくする (to recover), 変化へんかする (to change), 悪化あっかする (to worsen), 拡大かくだいする (to expand), and 減少げんしょうする (to decrease).

Picture a river slowly rising, a society steadily shifting, a disease gradually spreading. つつある captures that sense of motion — the focus is the process itself, not the outcome. In formal writing, this framing lends weight to descriptions of trends, whether alarming or hopeful.

つつある typically pairs with intransitive verbs or passive forms of transitive verbs. Since the focus is on a natural process unfolding rather than on who is doing what, transitive active verbs feel out of place.

Structure & Formation

The formation of つつある is straightforward: take the masu-stem (also called the verb stem or 連用形れんようけい) of a verb and attach つつある directly to it.

To modify a noun, the pattern stays as つつある (e.g., 変わりかわりつつある社会しゃかい — a society that is in the process of changing). For past tense, use つつあった.

• Present/ongoing: 回復かいふくしつつある — is in the process of recovering
• Past ongoing: 回復かいふくしつつあった — was in the process of recovering
• Noun modification: 変化へんかしつつある世界せかい — the world that is changing

Example Sentences

Economy & Society

Environment & Nature

Health & Medicine

Technology & Progress

Culture & Social Change

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using つつある in casual spoken conversation

❌ ねえ、最近太りつつあるんだよね。

✅ 最近、体重が増えてきているんだよね。

Using つつある in casual speech sounds stiff — like reciting from a press release. In spoken Japanese, ～てきている or ～ている fits naturally. Save つつある for written reports, news, academic essays, and formal presentations.

Mistake 2: Attaching つつある to instantaneous or completed-action verbs

❌ ドアが開きつつある。

✅ ドアが徐々じょじょに開いてあいてきている。

つつある pairs naturally with gradual, ongoing processes — not sudden events. Verbs like 開くあく (to open) used for a single moment, or 死ぬしぬ (to die) as a one-time event, feel awkward. Stick to verbs like 変わるかわる, 増えるふえる, 進むすすむ, or 回復かいふくする.

Mistake 3: Confusing つつある with つつ (while doing)

❌ 音楽おんがくを聴きききつつある勉強べんきょうする。

✅ 音楽おんがくを聴きききつつ勉強べんきょうする。

～つつ (without ある) means "while doing" — two simultaneous actions. ～つつある means "is in the process of." These are entirely different grammar points. Do not add ある to the concurrent-action pattern.

Mistake 4: Using the wrong verb form before つつある

❌ 経済けいざいが回復するかいふくするつつある。

✅ 経済けいざいが回復かいふくしつつある。

Always use the masu-stem (連用形れんようけい), not the dictionary form. For する verbs, that means the し form. Attaching つつある to the plain dictionary form is one of the most common errors at this level.

Mistake 5: Using つつある with adjectives directly

❌ 空気くうきが汚いきたないつつある。

✅ 空気くうきが汚くきたなくなりつつある。

つつある attaches only to verb stems. When describing an adjective in the process of changing, use なる as the carrier verb: 汚くきたなくなりつつある (is becoming dirty), 深刻しんこくになりつつある (is becoming serious).

Cultural Notes

つつある is a staple of formal Japanese discourse. Open a newspaper editorial, tune into an NHK broadcast, or read a government white paper — you will find it. Its formal register sounds authoritative and measured, qualities that Japanese public communication prizes.

Writers reach for つつある when they want to signal a trend that demands attention. The grammar itself carries weight, whether the subject is a worrying social decline or an encouraging economic recovery. Environmental reports use it heavily — 生態系せいたいけいが破壊はかいされつつある (ecosystems are being destroyed) — and political commentary follows suit.

つつある rarely enters personal or emotional speech. Native speakers do not use it to describe their own shifting feelings — it belongs to the language of objective observation and documentation, not personal expression. Japanese formal writing favors a detached, analytical voice, and つつある fits squarely within that register.

For learners preparing for the JLPT N2 reading section, spotting つつある quickly in journalistic or academic text is an essential skill. It appears regularly in passages on social issues, science, and economics.

JLPT Tips

On the N2 exam, つつある appears in two main formats: grammar selection (choose the correct form to complete a sentence) and reading comprehension (understand what a passage is describing).

For grammar selection, register is the fastest clue. A newspaper headline, a corporate memo, a science report — the answer is almost certainly つつある. Casual dialogue between friends? Go with ている or てきている.

Notice the type of verb in exam sentences. The JLPT consistently pairs つつある with change-of-state verbs: 増加ぞうかする, 減少げんしょうする, 拡大かくだいする, 改善かいぜんする, 悪化あっかする, 発展はってんする, 変化へんかする. Learning these collocations lets you recognize the pattern on sight under exam conditions.

In the reading section, つつある tends to appear in passages on society, technology, or the environment. When you encounter it, read it as "is in the process of [changing/recovering/worsening]" and treat it as a signal that the author is describing an ongoing trend — a framing that often shapes the correct answer to attitude or purpose questions.

つつあった (past tense) can also appear on the exam. It means the process was ongoing at a specific past moment — whether it continued or stopped depends on the surrounding context. Read the passage carefully before choosing.