Activities: "How to use a verb with ている (te iru) in Japanese?"

Your turn!

• お風呂にお湯が入っていませんでした。

  Ofuro ni oyu ga haitte imasen deshita.

  There was no hot water in the bath.

  ← Resulting state of a past (non-)action

• この本は中学生の時にもう読んでいる。

  Kono hon wa chūgakusei no toki ni mō yonde iru.

  I read this book when I was in middle school.

  ← Past experience, the key is もう[mō](already) and non-past tense

• 私は毎晩午後10時半に寝ています。

  Watashi wa maiban gogo jūji han ni nete imasu.

  I go to bed at 10:30 pm every night.

  ← Habitual, the key is 毎晩[maiban](every night)

• 美穂さんはいつも同じTシャツを着ている。

  Miho-san wa itsu mo onaji T-shatsu o kite iru.

  Miho always wears the same T-shirt.

  ← Habitual, the key is いつも[itsumo](always)

• 財布が床に落ちていた。

  Saifu ga yuka ni ochite ita.

  The wallet was on the floor.

  ← Resulting state, the fallen wallet is observable

• 昨日の午後はずっとアルバイトをしていました。

  Kinō no gogo wa zutto arubaito o shite imashita

  I was working part-time all afternoon yesterday.

  ← Ongoing action in the past

• この線は真っ直ぐじゃなくて、ちょっと右に曲がっている。

  Kono sen wa massugu ja nakute, chotto migi ni magatte iru.

  This line is not straight, it curves slightly to the right.

  ← Appearance of the subject 線[sen](line)

• あの猫は太っていません。

  Ano neko wa futotte imasen.

  That cat isn’t fat.

  ← Appearance of the subject 猫[neko](cat)

• 彼女は十年前にアメリカの大学を卒業している。

  Kanojo wa jūnenmae ni amerika no daigaku o sotsugyōshite iru.

  She graduated from an American university ten years ago.

  ← Past experience, the key is 十年前[jūnenmae](ten years ago) and the non-past ending

• 隆くんは今学校に行っています。

  Takashi-kun wa ima gakkō ni itte imasu.

  Takashi has gone to school (and he is there) now.

  (It’s Monday at 11 AM)

  ← Resulting state: Takashi went to school earlier in the morning and at 11 AM, he is in school now

  Remember that with moving verbs such as 行く[iku](to go) and 来る[kuru](to come) can be interpreted as the resulting state of a past action or an ongoing/continuous action. The context plays a big role in determining its meaning. For this sentence, assuming that children go to school on Mondays around 9 AM, 11 AM determines the interpretation: Takashi is already in school by 11 AM. Therefore, the interpretation would be the resulting state.
  However, if it was Monday around 8:30 AM, then this sentence can be interpreted as an ongoing action and translated as "Takashi is on his way to school now."
  If there was no context, it is possible to have the sentence interpreted as a habitual action: "Takashi goes to/attends school now (on a regular basis)."

• あれ、鈴木さん、あそこで何をしているんだろう？

  Are? Suzuki-san, asoko de nani o shite iru n darō?

  Huh? What is Ms. Suzuki doing over there?

  ← Ongoing

• ドアが閉まっていて、開きません。

  Doa ga shimatte ite, hirakimasen.

  The door is closed and won’t open.

  ← Resulting state

Complete the following . You may use the key word given on the right to answer. Make sure to answer using the same politeness level.

• Please note that the question mark “?” is used for a question so that it is easier to understand.

• A:

  田中さんは先生をしていますか？
  Tanaka-san wa sensei o shite imasu ka?
  Is Mr. Tanaka a teacher?

  B:

  いいえ、先生を。
  Iie, sensei o ___.
  No, he is not a teacher.

  バスの運転手を。
  Basu no untenshu o ___.
  He is a bus driver.

• A:

  スミスさんはサッカーをしてる？
  Sumisu-san wa sakkā o shite ru?
  Is Mr. Smith playing soccer?

  B:

  ううん、サッカーを。
  Uun, sakkāi o ___.
  No, he isn’t playing soccer.

  テニスをよ。
  Tenisu o ___ yo.
  (He) is playing tennis.

• A:

  窓は閉まっていますか?
  Mado wa shimatte imasu ka?
  Is the window closed?

  B:

  いいえ、。。
  Iie, ___. ___.
  No, the window isn’t closed. (It’s) open.

  開く[aku](to open)

  でも、カーテンは。
  Demo, kāten wa ___.
  But the curtain is closed.

• A:

  男の子は泣いてんの？
  Otoko no ko wa naiten no?
  Is the boy crying?

  B:

  ううん、。
  Iie, ___.
  No, he is not crying.

  でも、よ。
  Demo, ___ yo.
  But he is angry.

  怒る[okoru](to be angry)

Answer the following questions. The translation is not given, but key words are provided. The answers given are just examples!

• 今、ご飯を食べていますか。

  Ima, gohan o tabete imasu ka.

  → Are you eating a meal now?

  今 ima now	ご飯 gohan meal	食べる taberu to eat

  Sample answer:
  いいえ、ご飯を食べていません。日本語を勉強しています。
  Iie, gohan o tabete imasen. Nihongo o benkyōshite imasu.
  No, I am not eating a meal. I am studying Japanese.

• いつも朝何時に起きていますか。

  Itsu mo asa nan ji ni okite imasu ka.

  → What time do you usually/always wake up in the morning?

  いつも itsumo always	朝 asa morning	何時 nanji what time	起きる okiru to get up

  Sample answer:
  いつも朝6時半ごろ起きています。
  Itsumo asa rokuji han goro okite imasu.
  I always get up around 6:30 in the morning.

• 昨日の午後８時ごろ何をしていましたか。

  Kinō no gogo hachiji goro nani o shite imashita ka.

  → What were you doing around 8 PM yesterday?

  昨日 kinō yesterday	午後８時ごろ gogo hachiji goro around 8 PM	何 nani what	する suru to do

  Sample answer:
  昨日の午後８時ごろ皿を洗っていました。
  Kinō no gogo hachiji goro sara o aratte imashita.
  I was washing dishes around 8PM yesterday.

• 去年、ご両親とアパートに住んでいましたか。

  Kyonen, goryōshin to apāto ni sunde imashita ka.

  → Did you live in an apartment with your parents last year?

  去年 kyonen last year	ご両親 goryōshin (your) parents → ご = honorific	アパート apāto apartment	住む sumu to live

  Sample answer:
  去年両親とアパートに住んでいませんでした。一人で住んでいました。
  Kyonen, ryōshin to apāto ni sunde imasen deshita. Hitori de sunde imashita.
  I didn’t live with my parents in an apartment last year. I was living alone.

  Make sure you took ご[go] out from ご両親[goryōshin] in your answer since it is honorific and you don’t use honorific ご to your own parents!