Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Want to say “There is a cat in the park” or “There’s a hospital in my town”?
In Japanese, you can express the existence of people, animals, and objects using two essential verbs:
あります（arimasu） and います（imasu）.
In this article, you’ll learn:
✔ The difference between あります and います
✔ How to form sentences using “There is / There are” in Japanese
✔ Real-life examples to help you speak naturally
✔ Negative and question forms
✔ Tips and common mistakes to avoid
Let’s get started and talk about what’s around you in Japanese!
1. What Is あります・います?
In Japanese, we use:
| Verb | Use for |
|---|---|
| あります | non-living things (inanimate objects) |
| います | living things (people, animals, etc.) |
Basic Sentence Pattern:
[Place] に [Noun] が あります／います。
→ “There is/are [noun] in/at [place].”
2. Examples with あります（non-living things）
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| うちに 自転車が あります。 | There is a bicycle at home. |
| この町に 図書館が あります。 | There is a library in this town. |
| 大学に カフェは ありますか。 | Is there a cafe at your university? |
| いいえ、カフェは ありません。 | No, there isn’t. |
3. Examples with います（living things）
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 公園に 猫が います。 | There is a cat in the park. |
| 学校に 留学生が います。 | There is an international student at school. |
| 家に 誰が いますか。 | Who is at home? |
| 母が います。 | My mom is at home. |
| 弟は いません。 | My younger brother is not at home. |
4. Question & Negative Forms
Questions:
Add か at the end.
Example: 学校に 図書館は ありますか。= Does your school have a library?
Negative:
- あります → ありません
- います → いません
Example: 学校に 図書館は ありません。= My school does not have a library.
Note: In questions and negative sentences, は is often used instead of が to highlight the topic.
If you want to learn more about particle は and が, read this article: Japanese Particles: How to Distinguish Between wa (は) and ga (が)
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ 本が います。
- ✅ 本が あります。(There is a book) → Books are non-living, so use あります.
- ❌ Using あります for people
- ✅ Use います for humans and animals
- ❌ Forgetting the location particle に
- ✅ Always say: [Place] に [Noun] が あります／います。
6. Practice Time: Try These!
Translate the following into Japanese:
| Cue | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| There is a dog over there. | あそこに 犬が います。 |
| Is there a hospital in your town? | あなたの町に 病院は ありますか。 |
| There isn’t a library in this town. | この町に 図書館は ありません。 |
| Who is at home? | 家に 誰が いますか。 |
7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan I use あります for animals like cats and dogs?
- A
No. Use います for all living things, including pets like cats and dogs.
- QWhen using it with a word indicating location, what is the word order?
- A
Generally, the order is: “Location + に + N + が + あります/います.” Example: “机の上 に 本 が あります.” (There is a book on the desk.) “公園 に 犬 が います.” (There is a dog in the park.)
A note on flexibility: While this is a very natural word order, Japanese sentence structure is quite flexible. The most important rules are:
- Keep the noun and its particle together (e.g., the “chunk” 机の上に or 本が).
- Keep the verb (あります / います) or adjectives at the end of the sentence.
- You will learn how to use adjectives in “How to Use Japanese na-Adjectives | Describing People and Things with な-Form” and “How to Use Japanese i-Adjectives | Learn Oishii（おいしい）, Atsui（あつい）, and More.”
As long as you follow those rules, you can swap the “chunks.” For example, the following sentence is also 100% grammatically correct and means the same thing: “本が 机の上に あります。” (Hon ga tsukue no ue ni arimasu.)
- QIf someone asks “~がありますか・いますか” (Is there ~?), how do I answer?
- A
If there is, answer “はい、あります.” (Yes, there is.) or “はい、います.” (Yes, there is.). If there isn’t, answer “いいえ、ありません.” (No, there isn’t.) or “いいえ、いません.” (No, there isn’t.).
- QDo “arimasu” and “imasu” have other uses besides “There is/are…”?
- A
Yes, they do. The other main uses are to express possession (“to have”) and to state that an event will take place.
To Show Possession (“To have”): This form is used to say that someone “has” something. Just like the “there is/are” rule, the verb choice depends on whether the thing being possessed is animate (living) or inanimate (non-living). Example:
- 兄弟はいますか。 (Kyou-dai wa imasu ka? / Do you have any siblings?) – はい、兄がいます。 (Hai, ani ga imasu. / Yes, I have an older brother.)
- いま、時間はありますか。 (Ima jikan wa arimasu ka? / Do you have time now?) – いいえ、時間がありません。 (Iie, jikan ga arimasen. / No, I don’t have time.)
For Events (“To take place” / “To be held”): あります (arimasu) is also used to state that an event (like a test, a meeting, or a party) will happen at a certain time. Example:
- 水曜日にテストがあります。 (Sui-youbi ni tesuto ga arimasu. / There is a test on Wednesday. / I have a test on Wednesday.)
8. Conclusion: Start Noticing What’s Around You!
Now you can confidently say what exists and where in Japanese using あります and います.
These simple structures open the door to describing your surroundings, making plans, or answering questions about your life.
🎯 Try making 3 sentences today using あります or います to describe your home, town, or school!
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
