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JLPT N5Existence

いる / ある(iru / aru) — The Verbs of Existence

Verbs stating that something exists at a location, or that you have something. います (いる) is for animate beings (people, animals). あります (ある) is for inanimate objects and abstract things.

Grammar path · 練習

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A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 5 · EXISTENCE

Structure · 形

[Place] に [Noun] が います/あります

Examples · 例文

  • 公園に子供がいます。

    Kouen ni kodomo ga imasu.

    There are children in the park.

    子供 (child = animate) が います

  • 机の上に本があります。

    Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.

    There is a book on the desk.

    本 (book = inanimate) が あります

  • 時間があります。

    Jikan ga arimasu.

    I have time.

    abstract thing (time) 'exists' for me = 'I have time'

Usage notes · 注意

  • The Animacy Test: Does it move under its own will? Yes → いる (people, animals, insects). No → ある (books, plants, things). Cars and robots are treated as inanimate → ある.
  • Event Occurrences: あります also declares that an event will take place: 明日パーティーがあります (there's a party tomorrow); 試験がある (there's a test).
  • Core Particles: Existence pairs with に (location) and が (the thing that exists).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones いる is tested against.

vsです / だ (copula)

いる/ある state physical existence or possession ('there is', 'I have'); です/だ equate identity ('A is B'). '本があります' = there is a book vs '本です' = it is a book.

vs持っている (to have/own)

ある can mean 'have' for things at hand or abstract (時間がある, お金がある); 持っている stresses actively owning/holding a concrete possession (車を持っている = I own a car).

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