Learn Japanese: Expressing 'Have' with 持っている (motte iru)
Learn to say what people have in Japanese using 持っている (motte iru), including how it changes for different subjects like 'I have' and 'she has'.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, the verb 'have' changes to 'has' with he, she, and it: 'I have a bike; she has a car.' Japanese does not change a verb for person. Instead, it uses the same expression for every subject: 持っている (motte iru), which literally means 'is holding' or 'has.' You simply say who has the thing, then は (wa), then the thing, then を持っている (o motte iru). This lesson teaches that pattern with real examples, so you can talk about what you, your friends, and your family have.
By the end, you can…
- say what I have using 持っている (motte iru).
- say what another person has without changing the verb.
- ask whether someone has something using 持っている (motte iru).
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
私は自転車を持っている。
I have a bicycle.
watashi wa jitensha o motte iru
Neutral, casual spoken form. 私 (watashi) means 'I'; は (wa) marks the topic. In casual speech, だ (da) is often added at the end: 私は自転車を持っているだ is not standard—the plain form 持っている already ends the sentence naturally.
彼女は車を持っている。
She has a car.
kanojo wa kuruma o motte iru
The verb stays 持っている (motte iru); it does not change for 'she' as English 'has' does.
田中さんは犬を持っている。
Tanaka-san has a dog.
Tanaka-san wa inu o motte iru
Using a family name plus さん (san) is a polite way to talk about someone else.
私はお金を持っていない。
I do not have money.
watashi wa okane o motte inai
Negative casual form: 持っていない (motte inai). Use it for 'do not have.' The particle は (wa) can replace を (o) for emphasis in negatives: お金は持っていない (okane wa motte inai).
車を持っていますか。
Do you have a car?
kuruma o motte imasu ka
Polite question form. 持っています (motte imasu) is the polite present form; か (ka) makes it a question.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: [person] は [thing] を持っている (motte iru). For example, 私は本を持っている (watashi wa hon o motte iru) means 'I have a book.' 彼は本を持っている (kare wa hon o motte iru) means 'He has a book.' The verb 持っている (motte iru) stays the same. In polite speech, change it to 持っています (motte imasu): 私は本を持っています (watashi wa hon o motte imasu).
When to use it
Use 持っている (motte iru) for physical things you own or carry, such as a bike, a phone, or money: 私は携帯を持っている (watashi wa keitai o motte iru), 'I have a mobile phone.' For family members, Japanese often prefers がいる (ga iru) instead: 私は妹がいる (watashi wa imouto ga iru), 'I have a younger sister.' Use 持っている for objects, and がいる for people and animals you 'have' as family or pets. Note that がいる is used for animate beings (people and animals), while 持っている is used for inanimate objects you possess.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
田中さんは車を持っていますか。
Does Tanaka-san have a car?Tanaka-san wa kuruma o motte imasu kaはい、持っています。
Yes, he does.hai, motte imasu私は自転車を持っている。あなたは。
I have a bicycle. And you?watashi wa jitensha o motte iru. anata wa私は持っていない。
I do not have one.watashi wa motte inaiA little context goes a long way
Japanese often leaves out 私 (watashi) or あなた (anata) when the topic is clear from context. In polite conversation, use 持っています (motte imasu) rather than 持っている (motte iru). When talking about family members, がいる (ga iru) is more natural than を持っている (o motte iru) for people and pets. Note that あなた (anata) can sound abrupt or even rude in Japanese; it is often better to use the person's name or simply omit the subject.
One thing to watch for
Changing the verb for different subjects, as in English 'she has': 彼女は車を持ちます (kanojo wa kuruma o mochimasu).
Try this instead: Japanese does not change the verb for person. Use the same 持っている (motte iru) for all subjects: 彼女は車を持っている (kanojo wa kuruma o motte iru), 'She has a car.' The polite form 持っています (motte imasu) also stays the same for every subject. Note: 持ちます (mochimasu) is not wrong grammatically, but it means 'will hold/carry' rather than 'have' as a state.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I have a bike' in casual Japanese?
Show a sample answer
私は自転車を持っている。 (watashi wa jitensha o motte iru)
This uses the topic marker は (wa), the object marker を (o), and the casual verb 持っている (motte iru). You may also omit 私 (watashi) if the topic is clear.
2How do you say 'She has a car' in polite Japanese?
Show a sample answer
彼女は車を持っています。 (kanojo wa kuruma o motte imasu)
The polite form 持っています (motte imasu) is used, and it does not change for 'she.' 彼女 (kanojo) means 'she.'
3How do you ask 'Do you have a phone?' politely?
Show a sample answer
携帯を持っていますか。 (keitai o motte imasu ka)
The question particle か (ka) is added at the end. 携帯 (keitai) means 'mobile phone.' You can also say あなたは携帯を持っていますか (anata wa keitai o motte imasu ka) for emphasis, though あなた (anata) is often omitted in natural Japanese.
Use 持っている (motte iru) for objects and がいる (ga iru) for people and pets. The verb does not change for 'he,' 'she,' or 'they'—only the politeness level changes.
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