Activities: "How to say “to be” in Japanese?"

Based on the picture, complete the sentences using either います or あります. Remember, you may need to conjugate the verb!

• この部屋には時計が。
  Kono heya ni wa tokei ga ___.
  There isn’t a clock in this room.

  → Existence, inanimate

• この部屋には女の人が。
  Kono heya ni wa onnanohito ga ___.
  There is a woman in this room.

  → Existence, animate

• 猫が。
  Neko ga ___.
  There isn’t a cat (here).

  → Existence, animate

• 観葉植物が。
  Kanyōshokubutsu ga ___.
  There is a houseplant (here).

  → Existence, inanimate

• 本はテーブルの下に。
  Hon wa tēburu no shita ni ___.
  The books are not under the table.

  → Location, inanimate

• 犬はソファの上に。
  Inu wa sofa no ue ni ___.
  The dog is on the sofa.

  → Location, animate

• マグカップはテーブルの上に。
  Magukappu wa tēburu no ue ni ___.
  The mug cup is on the table.

  → Location, animate

Bonus Practice!! Rewrite the last three sentences using noun + です.

• 5.

  本はテーブルの下に [...] 。
  The books are not under the table.

  → 。

• 6.

  犬はソファの上に [...] 。
  The dog is on the sofa.

  → 。

• 7.

  マグカップはテーブルの上に [...] 。
  The mug cup is on the table.

  → 。

Are the following sentences appropriately using いる and ある? If you think the sentence is correct, place O and if you think the sentence is incorrect, place X after each sentence. The verbs are conjugated so don’t get thrown off by that!

• カバンの中に財布がなかった。
  Kaban no naka ni saifu ga nakatta.
  There was no wallet in the bag.

  → Wallet is inanimate

• うちの庭にはたくさんの花がいる。
  Uchi no niwa ni wa takusan no hana ga iru.
  There are many flowers in my house’s garden.

  → Flower is animate, but can’t move so we use ある

• 冷蔵庫に魚がいるから、今日の夜は魚を焼こう！
  Reizōko ni sakana ga iru kara, kyō no yoru wa sakana o yakō!
  There are fish in the fridge so let’s bake fish for tonight!

  → Fish is animate, but already dead so ある

• ごめん、その日はもう予定があるから、遊びに行けない。
  Gomen, sono hi wa mō yotei ga aru kara asobi ni ikenai.
  I’m sorry, but I already have a plan on that day so I can’t go out.

  → Inanimate, plan

• あ、バスがあるよ！走れば間に合うよ。急ごう！
  A, basu ga aru yo! Hashireba ma ni au yo. Isogō!
  Ah, there’s a bus! We can make it if we run. Let’s hurry!

  → Bus is inanimate, but this bus moves! いる

• 公園には子供がいなかった。
  Kōen ni wa kodomo ga inakatta.
  There was no child at the park.

  → child is animate

• あの人にはすばらしい絵の才能がある。
  Ano hito ni wa subarashii e no sainō ga aru.
  That person has a wonderful talent for painting.

  → Talent is inanimate abstract

• 私の姉はユーモアがいる。
  Watashi no ane wa yūmoa ga iru.
  My older sister has a sense of humor.

  → Humor is inanimate abstract attribute of the sister so ある

Context 1: 田中(Tanaka) and キム(Kimu) are coworkers. They are talking about scheduling a meeting.

• 田中 :

  水曜日の午後2時から、空いていますか。
  Suiyōbi no gogo ni-ji kara, aite imasu ka.
  Are you available from 2PM on Wednesday?

• キム :

  あ〜、すみません。その時間は会議がんです。
  A-, sumimasen. Sono jikan wa kaigi ga ___ n desu.
  Oh, I’m sorry. (At) that time, I have a meeting.

  午後4時からは何もんですけど、田中さんはどうですか。
  Gogo yo-ji kara wa nani mo ___ n desu kedo, Tanaka-san wa dō desu ka.
  I don’t have anything from 4PM, how about you, Mr. Tanaka?

• 田中 :

  午後4時からですか。大丈夫です。じゃあ、そうしましょう。
  Gogo yo-ji kara des ka. Daijyōbu desu. Jā, sōshimashō.
  From 4PM? That’s fine. Well then, let’s do so.

Context 2: 健(Takeru) and 湊(Minato) are friends and live in a college dorm. It’s 1 PM and 健 knocks on 湊’s door.

• 健 :

  湊、？
  Minato, ___ ?
  Minato, are you there?

  → Asking for a person

• 湊 :

  あ、よ。どうした？
  A, ___ yo. Dō shita?
  Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?

  → Answering that he is there

• 健 :

  いや、一緒にゲームしないかと思って。どうしたの？ジャケット着て。
  Iya, issho ni gēmu shinai ka to omotte. Dō shita no? Jaketto kite.
  Well, I thought we'd play games together. What’s going on? You’re wearing a jacket.

• 湊 :

  実は、午前中にアルバイトの面接がんだ。それで、今帰ってきたところ。
  Jitsu wa, gozenchū ni arubaito no mensetsu ga ___ n da. Sore de, ima kaette kita tokoro.
  Well, I had an interview for a part-time job this morning. And I just got back.

  → Interview is inanimate, which happened in the past = in the morning

• 健 :

  そっか。面接はどこで？
  Sokka. Mensetsu wa doko de?
  I see. Where did you do the interview?

• 湊 :

  駅前にデパートがだろ？そこの６階にラーメン屋で。
  Ekimae ni depāto ga ___ ? Soko no rokkai ni ___ rāmenya de.
  You know that there is a department store in front of the station? At the ramen shop on the 6th floor there.

  → Department store is inanimate, and so is ramen shop

• 健 :

  へ〜、そっか。お疲れ！
  He-, sokka. Otsukare!
  I see. Where did you do the interview?