# Japanese Verb Aru (ある): Usage and Conjugation Guide of Verb ある > Learn how to use the Japanese verb aru (ある) correctly. Covers aru vs iru, conjugation, sentence patterns, polite forms, and common mistakes for beginners. **URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/japanese/japanese-verb-aru **Last Updated:** 2025-12-29 **Tags:** fundamentals, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar --- You've probably seen aru in textbooks, heard it in anime, and noticed it pops up way more often than you'd expect for something that just means "to exist" or "to be", when [learning Japanese](https://migaku.com/learn-japanese). The verb ある (aru) is how Japanese expresses existence, location, and possession for inanimate objects. When you want to say a book is on the table, that you have a car, or that there's a convenience store nearby, you're going to need ある. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, there are some quirks you need to know about. --- ## What does aru mean in Japanese The basic meaning of ある (aru) is "to exist" or "to be located." But here's where it gets interesting for English speakers: we don't really have a direct equivalent. In English, we use "to be" for almost everything. "The book is here." "I am here." Same verb, different subjects. Japanese splits this concept into two separate verbs based on what you're talking about. > The verb ある (aru) handles inanimate objects and non-living things. So when you're talking about books, chairs, buildings, money, or abstract concepts like time, you use ある. The polite form is あります (arimasu), which you'll use in most everyday conversations. The casual ある form shows up in informal speech with friends, in written Japanese, and in subordinate clauses. --- ## Conjugation and tense The verb ある conjugates differently from most Japanese verbs because it's irregular. Here are the main forms you need: **Present/Future Affirmative:** - Casual: ある (aru) - Polite: あります (arimasu) **Present/Future Negative:** - Casual: ない (nai) - Polite: ありません (arimasen) **Past Affirmative:** - Casual: あった (atta) - Polite: ありました (arimashita) **Past Negative:** - Casual: なかった (nakatta) - Polite: ありませんでした (arimasen deshita) Example sentences: - 。
*I had time yesterday.* - 。
*I don't have money.* - 。
*There was no station.* --- ## Basic sentence patterns with aru The most common pattern you'll see with ある uses the particle が (ga) to mark what exists: > **Thing + が + あります** Example:
。
*There is a book. / A book exists.* When you want to specify where something exists or is located, you add に (ni) to mark the location: > **Location + に + Thing + が + あります** Example:

*There is a book on the table.* You can flip this around to emphasize the location: > **Thing + は + Location + に + あります** Example:
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*The book is on the table.* The particle choice matters here. When you use が (ga), you're introducing new information or answering "what exists?" When you use は (wa), you're talking about a specific thing and stating where it is. --- ## Expressing possession with aru English speakers often get confused because we'd say "I have a book" but Japanese says something that literally translates closer to "As for me, a book exists." The sentence structure looks like this: > **Person + は + Thing + が + あります** Example:
。
*I have a car.* (Literally: As for me, a car exists.) This feels backwards at first, but you get used to it. The person isn't doing anything to the object. The object just exists in relation to the person. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these don't actually ever literally mean "to have", do they? You're right. There's no true "to have" verb in Japanese. Possession is expressed through existence. The thing exists in your sphere, so you "have" it. --- ## Grammar patterns using aru Beyond basic existence, ある shows up in several grammar patterns you'll encounter: > **〜てある (te-aru)** indicates that something was done intentionally and the result remains: - 。
*The window has been opened (and is still open).* This is different from just ある. It shows someone opened it on purpose. > **〜ことがある (koto ga aru)** means "have the experience of": - 。
*I have been to Japan before.* > **〜ばかりある (bakari aru)** means "there are only": - 。
*There are only old books.* --- ## Asking questions with aru Turn any ある statement into a question by adding か (ka) at the end: > **[Thing] + が + ありますか？** Example: - ？
*Do you have time?* - ？
*Is there a station?* Common question and answer patterns: Q: トイレはどこにありますか？
*Where is the bathroom?*
A: あそこにあります。
*It's over there.* Q: ？
*Do you have questions?*
A: いいえ、ありません。
*No, I don't.* --- ## The big distinction: Aru vs iru Okay, this is probably the most important thing to understand about ある. Japanese has two existence verbs: ある (aru) for inanimate things and いる (iru) for animate things. Use ある (aru) for: - Objects: (hon, book), (kuruma, car), テーブル (teeburu, table) - Buildings and structures: (gakkou, school), (eki, station) - Abstract concepts: (jikan, time), (okane, money) - Natural inanimate things: (yama, mountain), (kawa, river) Use いる (iru) for: - People: (tomodachi, friend), (sensei, teacher) - Animals: (inu, dog), (neko, cat), (tori, bird) - Insects: (ka, mosquito), (chou, butterfly) Someone asked me once: "Are plants iru or aru?" Good question! Plants use ある because they're considered inanimate in Japanese grammar. So (ki, tree) and (hana, flower) both take ある, even though they're living things. Yeah, it's a bit weird when you think about it, but that's how the language works. --- ## What is the difference between aru and arimasu This question comes up constantly. The answer is simple: > あります (arimasu) is just the polite form of ある (aru). They mean exactly the same thing. You use あります (arimasu) in: - Formal situations - Talking to strangers, customers, teachers, bosses - Business settings - When you want to sound respectful You use ある (aru) in: - Casual conversation with friends - Talking to yourself - Written narratives and literature - Subordinate clauses (Even in otherwise polite sentences) Example of mixing forms:
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*When I went to the library, the book I wanted to read was there.* --- ## Common mistakes and tricky cases **Mistake 1: Using ある for people** - Wrong: 。 - Right: 。
*I have friends.* **Mistake 2: Confusing particles** The particle choice changes the meaning: - 。
*There is a desk in the room.* - 。
*The desk is in the room.* First sentence answers "what's in the room?" Second sentence answers "where is the desk?" **Mistake 3: Using ある in progressive tense** Didn't we say earlier that ある is not used in that case? Well, ある doesn't really have a progressive form like ている (te-iru). You can't say あっている to mean "is existing" in the same way you'd say (tabete iru) for "is eating." The verb ある already describes a state, so it doesn't need a progressive form. **Mistake 4: Forgetting the irregular negative** The negative of ある is ない (nai), which looks nothing like the verb stem. Don't try to make it あらない or something logical. Just memorize ない. --- ## So, are you ready to be a master of Japanese Start paying attention to ある when you're reading Japanese or watching shows. You'll see it everywhere once you know what to look for. Try making your own sentences describing what's in your room, what you have in your bag, or what buildings are near your house. The more you use it, the more natural it becomes. The grammar might seem fussy at first with all the particle choices and the ある versus いる distinction, but Japanese is actually being really precise about things English glosses over. Once you internalize these patterns, you'll find you can express location and possession with more nuance than you could in English. Anyway, if you want to practice recognizing ある and other Japanese grammar in real content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and grammar patterns instantly while watching shows or reading articles. Makes learning from actual Japanese way more practical. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out. Learn Japanese with dictionary and translation with Migaku --- ## Can't believe I'm learning the ある grammar point so fast! The key points to remember: use ある for inanimate objects, いる for animate beings. Mastering ある takes practice, but you'll use it and see it so often that it becomes second nature pretty quickly, if you adopt the immersion and media consumption approach. > If you consume media in Japanese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. _Period_. The more you learn, the more you realize how much fun it is to learn!