偽札が市中に出回りつつある。
にせさつ が しちゅう に でまわりつつある。
Counterfeit money is gradually circulating in the city.
This ain’t no simple past or future, ya dig? ～つつある is for when you’re in the thick of it. It’s for when you see a situation slowly but surely changing, like watching your empire grow brick by brick, or seeing a rival crew’s influence startin’ to fade. It’s that in-between state, that continuous, ongoing change. It’s got a formal, kinda literary feel to it, so when you use it, you sound like you’re makin’ a serious observation, like a true shot-caller. You ain’t just talkin’, you’re makin’ a statement.
Peep the blueprint for how to put this joint together.
| Verb Type | Form | English |
| Godan (u-verb) | 話す -> 話し+つつある | is in the process of speaking |
| Ichidan (ru-verb) | 食べる -> 食べ +つつある | is in the process of eating |
| Irregular | する -> し+つつある | is in the process of doing |
| 来る -> きつつある | is in the process of coming |
So here’s the deal. You take your verb and drop it into the stem form. You know, the masu-stem. For your regular ‘u’ verbs, that ‘u’ sound flips to an ‘i’. For the ‘ru’ verbs, you just chop that ‘ru’ right off. Then, you just slap つつある on the end. It’s that simple. You’re basically sayin’ “is in the process of…” or “is gradually…”. It’s smooth, it’s clean, and it lets everyone know you see the big picture, the slow grind of change happening right before your eyes.
Think of it like this: ～つつある is like a slow-motion turf war. It ain’t a quick shootout; it’s a gradual takeover. One day, you notice a new piece of graffiti on a wall. A week later, another corner store is payin’ respect to a different crew. You see their influence spreading. It’s not a single event, it’s a process. You can see it happening, bit by bit. That slow, steady change, that’s what ～つつある is all about. You’re not sayin’ they took over the neighborhood (that’s past tense, playa). You’re sayin’ they are taking over. You’re in the middle of the action, watchin’ the whole scene transform. That’s the power of this grammar right here.
Here’s some new lingo you’re gonna need to keep up.
結束力 (けっそくりょく)
English: Unity; solidarity; cohesion.
Aight, listen up. 結束力 is that ride-or-die bond, that straight-up loyalty you got with your crew. It ain’t just about hangin’ out; it’s about bein’ a solid unit, a family. When the heat is on and things go sideways, this is what keeps your squad tight and unstoppable. Think Wu-Tang Clan, ya heard? They move as one, got that unbreakable chemistry. That’s 結束力. If your crew ain’t got it, you ain’t nothing but a bunch of solo acts waitin’ to get picked off.
隠滅 (いんめつ)
English: Destruction of evidence; concealment.
Check it. 隠滅 is when you gotta make somethin’ disappear, for real. We talkin’ ’bout wiping the slate clean, gettin’ rid of any trace of the hustle. Burnin’ papers, ditchin’ phones, scrubbin’ hard drives—whatever it takes so the Feds got nothin’ on you. It’s the art of makin’ evidence vanish into thin air. You leave a trail, you gettin’ caught. Straight up. So when you handle your business, you gotta be ghost and leave no fingerprints behind. That’s the art of 隠滅.
潜入捜査官 (せんにゅうそうさかん)
English: Undercover agent; mole.
Yo, be cool, be cool. A 潜入捜査官 is a snake in the grass, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is the cat who looks like one of the homies, talks the talk, walks the walk, but they secretly wearin’ a wire and reportin’ back to the boys in blue. They infiltrate your circle, gain your trust, and then BOOM, they bring the whole operation down from the inside. They the ultimate snitch, playin’ a dangerous game. Think Donnie Brasco, livin’ a double life to bust the mob. Always gotta watch your back for these types.
敵対する (てきたいする)
English: To be hostile; to oppose; to be a rival.
This is when you got beef. Plain and simple. When you 敵対する, you ain’t seein’ eye-to-eye with another cat or another crew. It’s straight-up opposition. This ain’t no friendly competition; we talkin’ turf wars, rival sets, clashing dynasties. It’s that East Coast vs. West Coast drama, that Biggie vs. Pac vibe. You’re on opposite sides of the chessboard, and only one can come out on top. It’s all about that adversarial energy, that “us against them” mentality.
崩壊する (ほうかいする)
English: To collapse; to fall apart; to crumble.
Aight, so picture this: you build an empire, a whole dynasty, right? But then, one wrong move, one act of betrayal, and the whole thing comes crashin’ down. That’s what 崩壊する is. It’s the total breakdown, the empire fallin’ to pieces. Like when the kingpin gets taken out and all the lieutenants start fightin’ amongst themselves, and the whole operation just disintegrates. It’s the end of an era, the fall of a titan. Everything you built turns to dust. It’s a cold world out there.
Check out how the real ones use this on the daily.
俺たちの縄張りは、少しずつ拡大しつつある。
おれたちのなわばりは、すこしずつかくだいしつつある。
Our territory is gradually expanding.
奴らの組織は、内側から崩壊しつつある。
やつらのそしきは、うちがわからほうかいしつつある。
Their organization is in the process of collapsing from within.
秘密の取引は、最終段階を迎えつつある。
ひみつのとりひきは、さいしゅうだんかいをむかえつつある。
The secret deal is approaching its final stage.
ボスの信頼を勝ち取るために、俺は努力しつつある。
ボスのしんらいをかちとるために、おれはどりょくしつつある。
In order to earn the boss’s trust, I am in the process of making an effort.
裏切り者の正体は、明らかになりつつある。
うらぎりもののしょうたいは、あきらかになりつつある。
The true identity of the traitor is becoming clear.
敵対するギャングとの関係は、悪化しつつある。
てきたいするギャングとのかんけいは、あっかしつつある。
The relationship with the rival gang is getting worse.
次の仕事の準備は、着々と進められつつある。
つぎのしごとのじゅんびは、ちゃくちゃくとすすめられつつある。
Preparations for the next job are steadily being advanced.
潜入捜査官は、組織の核心に迫りつつある。
せんにゅうそうさかんは、そしきのかくしんにせまりつつある。
The undercover officer is in the process of getting closer to the core of the organization.
証拠の隠滅は、完璧に進められつつある。
しょうこのいんめつは、かんぺきにすすめられつつある。
The destruction of evidence is in the process of being carried out perfectly.
仲間たちの結束力は、さらに強固になりつつある。
なかまたちのけっそくりょくは、さらにきょうこになりつつある。
The unity of our crew is becoming even stronger.
Aight, that’s the lesson for today. Keep your eyes open and practice this. You’ll be speakin’ like a real G in no time.
Stay solid. Peace out.
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