Japanese for Beginners: Saying 'There Is' and 'There Are' with あります and います
Learn to state that people, animals, places and things exist or are present in Japanese using あります and います, with particles が and に, and location phrases like ちかくに.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Japanese does not use a word that works exactly like English 'there is' or 'there are'. Instead, it uses two existence verbs: あります (arimasu) for things, plants and places, and います (imasu) for people and animals. The thing that exists is marked with the particle が (ga), and the place where it exists is marked with に (ni). This lesson teaches you to build simple, natural sentences such as わたしのいえのちかくにこうえんがあります。 ('There is a park near my house.') You will also learn how to ask whether something exists and how to answer yes or no.
By the end, you can…
- say that a thing, place or plant exists using あります.
- say that a person or animal exists using います.
- ask whether something or someone exists and answer yes or no.
- add a location with に and describe what is near, in or at a place.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
わたしのいえのちかくにこうえんがあります。
There is a park near my house.
watashi no ie no chikaku ni kōen ga arimasu
Use あります because a park is a place, not a living person or animal. の links わたし and いえ, and ちかくに means 'near' or 'in the vicinity'.
つくえのうえにほんがあります。
There is a book on the desk.
tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu
あります is used for inanimate objects such as books. のうえに means 'on top of'.
こうえんにこどもがいます。
There are children in the park.
kōen ni kodomo ga imasu
Use います for people. Japanese does not require a plural ending, so こども can mean 'child' or 'children' depending on context.
わたしのいえにねこがいますか。
Is there a cat at my house? / Do I have a cat at home?
watashi no ie ni neko ga imasu ka
Add か to make a polite yes/no question. わたしのいえ means 'my house'; the question asks about existence, not possession in the English sense.
いいえ、いません。
No, there isn't. / No, I don't have one.
iie, imasen
The negative of います is いません. Use ありません for the negative of あります.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic existence pattern is: place に + thing/person が + あります/います。For example, へやにテレビがあります。 means 'There is a television in the room.' こうえんにいぬがいます。 means 'There is a dog in the park.' If you want to mention the owner or larger location, you can add の: わたしのいえのちかくにこうえんがあります。 ('There is a park near my house.') The existence verb comes at the end of the sentence. To make a question, add か at the end: へやにテレビがありますか。 ('Is there a television in the room?').
When to use it
Use あります for non-living things, plants, places and events: ほんがあります ('There is a book'), こうえんがあります ('There is a park'), はながあります ('There are flowers'). Use います for people and animals: せんせいがいます ('There is a teacher'), ねこがいます ('There is a cat'). If you simply want to say that you have something, Japanese often uses the same existence pattern with a location: わたしのいえにねこがいます。 can mean 'There is a cat at my house' or 'I have a cat.' The particle が marks what exists, while に marks where it exists.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、このちかくにえきがありますか。
Excuse me, is there a station near here?sumimasen, kono chikaku ni eki ga arimasu kaはい、あります。えきはあそこです。
Yes, there is. The station is over there.hai, arimasu. eki wa asoko desuえきのちかくにコンビニがありますか。
Is there a convenience store near the station?eki no chikaku ni konbini ga arimasu kaいいえ、ありません。でも、こうえんのちかくにあります。
No, there isn't. But there is one near the park.iie, arimasen. demo, kōen no chikaku ni arimasuA little context goes a long way
Japanese often prefers existence statements where English might use 'have'. For example, わたしのいえにねこがいます。 literally says 'At my house, there is a cat,' but it naturally translates as 'I have a cat.' Also, あります and います are polite forms. In casual speech, people use ある and いる, but beginners should use あります and います with strangers, teachers and shop staff.
One thing to watch for
Using います for an object, as in つくえのうえにほんがいます。
Try this instead: Use あります for inanimate things: つくえのうえにほんがあります。 ('There is a book on the desk.'). Reserve います for people and animals, as in こうえんにこどもがいます。
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'There is a park near my house' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
わたしのいえのちかくにこうえんがあります。
This uses あります because a park is a place, and のちかくに to mean 'near'. わたしのいえのちかくに is also correct and natural.
2Which verb would you use for 'There is a dog in the park'?
Show a sample answer
こうえんにいぬがいます。
います is correct because a dog is an animal. あります would be wrong here, even though English uses the same 'there is' for both.
3Make this sentence negative: へやにテレビがあります。
Show a sample answer
へやにテレビがありません。
The negative of あります is ありません. This means 'There is no television in the room.' In casual speech, ない is possible, but ありません is the polite beginner form.
Remember the two existence verbs: あります for things, places and plants, and います for people and animals. Put the place before に, the existing thing before が, and the verb at the end.
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