Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz
Nagoyankee, can you explain that connotation you mentioned for いっとけばよかった? I'm unfamiliar with it. What about おくcreates that connotation?
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行っとけばよかった is the colloquial pronunciation of 行っておけばよかった for those who didn't know.
Verb in -te form + おく is a very important and frequently used expression. You will hear it just as long as you study Japnese. It means "to do something in preparation for a (possible) future event"
行っとけばよかった is a phrase that would be used by a person who didn't go to the concert but has heard good things about it from another person who actually went.
It expresses a certain amount of regret.
This person had seen the advertisement for the concert, seen the names of the bands, and decided not to go even though it was a free concert and he had no other plans for that day. The next day at school, he hears good things about the concert from some people.
He could have plainly said 行くべきだった(I should have gone.) as Person D did. Person D is now completely sure that the concert he missed out on was a blast.
Yet, Person K, who said 行っとけばよかった is still not
that sure. He thinks he might have liked it but also thinks he might not have. He thinks he should have gone
anyway. Had he not liked it, he would have had the choice of leaving in the middle. It was free so he had practically nothing to lose. Some would place the word 一応（いちおう） at the very beginning of this phrase, too. That would emphasize the "anyway" part.
As you can see, Verb in -te form + おく can be used this as well. "Doing something anyway." It may turn out to be a waste. But it would work as insurance.