N2 Results, Change, and Progress

~つつある: meaning, usage and examples

~つつある means: to be -ing / in the process of...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 地球温暖化ちきゅうおんだんかが進すすみつつある。

   Global warming is progressing.

2. 状況じょうきょうは改善かいぜんしつつある。

   The situation is improving.

3. この町まちの人口じんこうは年々ねんねん減へりつつある。

   The population of this town is decreasing year by year.

4. 新あたらしい働はたらき方かたが社会しゃかいに広ひろまりつつある。

   New ways of working are spreading through society.

When to use it

Says that a change is in progress and moving steadily in one direction. It is used with verbs of change, such as 増ふえる, 減へる, 進すすむ, 変かわる, 回復かいふくする and 広ひろまる. For example, 景気けいきは回復かいふくしつつある means "the economy is in the process of recovering." It describes a trend, not a single action happening now.

Nuance

Formal and mostly written, typical of news and reports. It only works with verbs of change; with action verbs like 食たべる or 読よむ, use ている instead. The tone is neutral, and the change can be good or bad.

Compare

ている can describe an action in progress: ご飯はんを食たべている. つつある describes a gradual change heading toward a result: 気温きおんが上あがりつつある. 一方いっぽうだ also shows one direction but adds a feeling that the trend will not stop: 物価ぶっかは上あがる一方いっぽうだ.

Tip: Test it: can you say "gradually" in English? If yes, つつある works. 食たべつつある is wrong.