Be, have, live

Stage 1General verbsChunk 16 of 26 · items 69–72 of 484

The ways to say something is there or that you have it — aru for things, iru for people and animals, motteru for what you own or carry — plus sumu for where you live.

Mix-ups

aru vs iru depends on whether the thing is alive (kasa aru / neko iru), and that holds for 'have' too: kyoudai iru? / inu iru? but jikan aru?; motteru is for what's in your possession or on you (kasa motteru?); iru is where you are now and sunderu where you live (ima doko ni iru? / doko ni sunderu?).

aru

polite arimasudrama rank #21

there is; have (things)

あるPlay ありますPlay

States that a thing, event or amount exists or is available, and is the default 'have' for time, plans and things (jikan aru?), with the thing marked by ga.

casualPlay

uchi ni kasa aru?

Do you have an umbrella at home?

うちに傘ある？

politePlay

uchi ni kasa ga arimasu ka?

Do you have an umbrella at home?

うちに傘がありますか？

The negative is the separate word nai (kasa nai), never *aranai.

Learn alongside: iru, motsu

iru

polite imasudrama rank #42

be, exist; have (people, pets)

いるPlay いますPlay

Says where a person or animal is or that they exist (ima doko ni iru?), is the 'have' for people and animals (kyoudai iru?, kanojo iru?, inu iru?), and is the base that -teru is built on.

casualPlay

ima uchi ni iru?

Are you home right now?

今うちにいる？

politePlay

ima uchi ni imasu ka?

Are you home right now?

今うちにいますか？

Homophone iru 'need' (要る) is godan: iranai, itte.

Learn alongside: aru, motsu

motsu

polite mochimasudrama rank #125

hold; carry; have

持つ もつPlay 持ちますPlay

Holding or carrying something, and in the -teru form owning or having it on you (kuruma motteru?), with motte iku / motte kuru meaning take / bring.

casualPlay

ima kasa motteru?

Do you have an umbrella on you?

今傘持ってる？

politePlay

ima kasa mottemasu ka?

Do you have an umbrella with you?

今傘持ってますか？

Owning or having it on you is motteru; bare motsu is 'hold / carry' (motou ka? = shall I carry that?) and also 'last' (ashita made motsu, karada ga motanai).

Learn alongside: aru, iruLearn first: -teru

sumu

polite sumimasudrama rank #548

live (in a place)

住む すむPlay 住みますPlay

Says where someone lives, with the place marked by ni; your current home takes the -teru form (doko ni sunderu?), the plain form is for a move ahead (rainen toukyou ni sumu) and -tai for a wish (toukyou ni sumitai).

casualPlay

doko ni sunderu?

Where do you live?

どこに住んでる？

politePlay

doko ni sundemasu ka?

Where do you live?

どこに住んでますか？

Homophone sumu 'be over, be settled' (済む) also gives sunde, sunda, and its polite negative is sumimasen (sorry), one sound off sumimasu; for where you live now say sundemasu, and 'I don't live there' is sundenai / sundemasen.

Learn first: -teru