いる is the usual existence verb for people and animals; ある is usual for objects, plants, and events. 猫がいる means “there is a cat,” while 本がある means “there is a book.” Both also appear in possession expressions. The distinction is a useful default about the way a referent is treated in context, with figurative, historical, and dialectal exceptions.
also written aru / iru / あります / います
いる — for things that move under their own will · ある — for everything else, vehicles included · both also mean 'to have'
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
いる — an animal in the park
polite
。
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公園
こうえん ［0］
park
noun · the place something is located
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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猫
ねこ ［1］
cat
noun · an animal, so it moves under its own will
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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います
います
there is (animate)
polite いる · chosen because a cat decides where it goes
いるN5exists · animate
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There's a cat in the park.
ある — an object on the desk
polite
。
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机
つくえ ［0］
desk
noun · a writing desk, not a dining table
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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上
うえ ［0］
on top of
noun of position · 机の上 is 'the top of the desk'
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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本
ほん ［1］
book
noun · an inanimate object
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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あります
あります
there is (inanimate)
polite ある · nothing here moves of its own accord
あるN5exists · inanimate
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There's a book on the desk.
ある — the vehicle case
plain
。
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駅
えき ［1］
station
noun · the location being described
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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前
まえ ［1］
in front of
noun of position · the space outside the entrance
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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タクシー
タクシー ［1］
taxi
noun · a vehicle, so it takes ある despite moving
あるN5exists · vehicles too
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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ある
ある
there is
plain ある · here closer to 'there's one available'
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There's a taxi outside the station.
ある — an event on the calendar
polite
。
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明日
あした ［3］
tomorrow
noun used adverbially · relative time, no particle
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会議
かいぎ ［1］
meeting
noun · an event rather than a thing or a person
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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あります
あります
there is; it's scheduled
polite ある · events exist on a calendar, so ある
あるN5exists · events
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There's a meeting tomorrow.
いる — possession, for people
polite
。
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日本語
にほんご ［0］
Japanese (the language)
noun · 日 sun + 本 origin + 語 language
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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話せる
はなせる ［3］
can speak
potential of 話す · the object takes が, not を
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友達
ともだち ［0］
friend
noun · a person, so possession uses いる
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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います
います
I have
polite いる · possession of a person, still marked が
いるN5to have · people
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I have a friend who speaks Japanese.
ない — the irregular negative
plain
。
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今
いま ［1］
now
noun used adverbially · the present moment
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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お金
おかね ［0］
money
noun · the お is fixed in this word
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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ない
ない
there isn't; I don't have
plain negative of ある · irregular, and it inflects as an い-adjective
ないN5the negative of ある
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I don't have any money right now.
Structure
Where does each verb go?
公園に猫が いる
公園に猫がいます. People and animals. Existence takes に, not で — nothing is happening, something simply is. Events are the exception; see below.
机の上に本が ある
机の上に本があります. Objects, plants, buildings. Same frame, different verb.
会議 / 試験 / 約束＋がある
明日会議があります. Events take ある even though they involve people — an appointment is not a creature. Their location takes で, not に: 大阪で会議があります, because a meeting is something that takes place.
ある → ない·いる → いない
ある has no あらない. Its plain negative is ない, which is also the adjective 'nonexistent' — that is why it inflects like one.
Meaning
The line that actually holds
A useful default is whether the referent is treated as animate.いる normally covers people and animals. Objects, plants, and events usually take ある — including plants, which are alive but usually treated as stationary referents.
Vehicles are the case that breaks the textbook rule.タクシーがある, バスがある — a taxi moves, but nothing about it is volitional, so it patterns with objects. What you are usually saying with these is that one is available.
Both verbs also mean “to have”.お金がある is I have money; 友達がいる is I have a friend. The thing owned takes が rather than を, because grammatically nothing is being acted on — something merely exists, described from the owner's side.
Events take ある.明日会議があります. A meeting is full of people and is still not a creature; what exists is the appointment. The same goes for 試験, 約束 and 時間.
One old usage you will meet in reading.子供がある for “to have children” is attested and now sounds dated or formal; modern speech uses 子供がいる. Worth recognising rather than producing; it shows that the usual people-versus-things pattern has historical exceptions.
Watch out
Where ある and いる go wrong
Treating the rule as living vs non-living
Plants are alive and take ある; taxis are not and take ある too. The test that works is whether the thing moves because it chose to.
Reaching for あらない
There is no such form. The plain negative of ある is ない, and it conjugates like an い-adjective: なかった, なくて.
Using を for “have”
お金をある does not work. Both verbs take が for the thing possessed, because grammatically it is existing, not being acted on.
Also asked
Questions people ask about ある and いる
Is it really animate vs inanimate?
Close enough to get you started, and it breaks on two fronts. Plants are animate and take ある; vehicles are inanimate, move, and also take ある. The better test is self-propelled will.
Why does a taxi take ある?
Because nothing about a taxi is volitional — it moves, but it does not decide to. タクシーがある is also usually about availability: there's one to be had.
How do I say “I have”?
お金がある for things, 友達がいる for people. The animacy split carries over, and what you have is marked が.
ある or 持っている for possession?
持っている suggests physically holding or owning a concrete item — 傘を持っている. ある is broader and covers time, money and opportunities, which you cannot hold.
Why is the negative ない and not あらない?
ある is irregular in the negative, and the result is not a verb at all — ない behaves as an い-adjective, which is why you get なかった rather than あらなかった.
What about 子供がある?
It is real, it means “to have children,” and it now reads as dated or formal. Modern speech uses 子供がいる. Recognise it in reading rather than producing it.
