GrammarJLPT N5
→ to exist (animate)
To Exist / To Be (Animate) / Ongoing Action
JLPT N5Auxiliary verbNeutral
いる is one of the most fundamental verbs in Japanese, serving two major roles. First, as a main verb, いる means "to exist" or "to be" and is used exclusively for animate beings — people, animals, insects, and other living things. This contrasts with ある, which is used for inanimate objects and abstract concepts. Second, いる functions as an auxiliary verb when attached to the て-form of another verb (て + いる), expressing an ongoing action, a habitual state, or a resultant state. In polite speech, いる becomes います. Because いる is an ichidan (る-verb), its conjugation is straightforward: simply drop る and add the appropriate ending. Learners should be careful not to confuse いる with ある, as mixing up animate and inanimate existence is one of the most common beginner errors.
Functions
#1 Expressing the existence of animate beings
Structure
Subject (animate) + が + いる
にわ に ねこ が いる。
Here いる functions as a main verb meaning "to exist" or "there is." Because a cat is a living creature, いる is used instead of ある. The particle に marks the location (the garden), and が marks the subject (the cat). This is the most basic use of いる and is one of the first grammar patterns taught to beginners.There is a cat in the garden.
Structures
- Existence of animate beings
- Subject (animate) + が + いる
- Location of animate beings
- Place + に + Subject (animate) + が + いる
- Ongoing action / State (auxiliary)
- Verb (て-form) + いる
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is confusing いる with ある. Remember that いる is for animate beings (people, animals) while ある is for inanimate objects and abstract things. For example, saying 「つくえの上にねこがある」 is incorrect; it should be 「つくえの上にねこがいる」. Another frequent error is forgetting to use the て-form before いる when expressing ongoing actions — writing 「読むいる」 instead of the correct 「読んでいる」. Beginners also sometimes confuse the ichidan verb いる (to exist) with the godan verb 要る (いる, to need), which conjugates differently. Finally, learners may not realize that ている can express either a progressive action or a resultant state depending on the verb, and they may translate every instance as "-ing" in English, leading to unnatural interpretations.
Related
あるているてあるいます (polite form)いらっしゃる