いる

いる
verb (ichidan)
to exist, to be (animate)
1. to exist, to be (for living things)
Expresses the existence of people, animals, and other animate beings. The counterpart for inanimate objects is ある.
猫(ねこ)がいます。
There is a cat. / I have a cat.
犬(いぬ)がいます。
There is a dog. / I have a dog.
公園(こうえん)に鳥(とり)がたくさんいます。
There are many birds in the park.
この町(まち)には外国人(がいこくじん)がたくさんいます。
There are many foreigners in this town.
あそこに知(し)っている人(ひと)がいます。
There is someone I know over there.
2. to be (in a place)
Indicates that a person or animal is present in a location. 部屋に猫がいる (There's a cat in the room).
誰(だれ)かいますか。
Is anyone there?
部屋(へや)に人(ひと)がいます。
There is someone in the room.
先生(せんせい)は今(いま)、教室(きょうしつ)にいますか。
Is the teacher in the classroom now?
母(はは)は今日(きょう)、家(いえ)にいません。
My mother is not at home today.
あそこに知(し)っている人(ひと)がいます。
There is someone I know over there.
駅(えき)の前(まえ)に友達(ともだち)がいるので、会(あ)いに行(い)きます。
My friend is in front of the station, so I'm going to meet them.
3. to have (family, pets)
Used to express having family members or pets. 子供がいる (to have children).
猫(ねこ)がいます。
There is a cat. / I have a cat.
兄弟(きょうだい)がいますか。
Do you have siblings?
子供(こども)が三人(さんにん)います。
I have three children.
ペットはいますか。
Do you have any pets?
姉(あね)と弟(おとうと)がいますが、妹(いもうと)はいません。
I have an older sister and a younger brother, but I don't have a younger sister.
日本(にほん)には友達(ともだち)がたくさんいるので、また行(い)きたいです。
I have many friends in Japan, so I want to go there again.

TRANSITIVITY: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive). Counterpart for inanimate objects: ある. Pattern: Xがいる.

ASPECT: いる is a stative verb and does not normally take ている for existence. As an auxiliary verb (〜ている), it forms progressive/resultative aspect with other verbs.

COMMON PATTERNS:

IMPORTANT: いる is for animate beings (people, animals), ある is for inanimate objects. This distinction is fundamental in Japanese. The kanji 居(い)る exists but hiragana is standard.

Related Words

See also: ある
basic
Added 2026.1.5 21:28 · Revised 2026.2.12 8:55
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