Learn how to use the verbs arimasu and imasu to talk about existence
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| Welcome to learn Japanese grammar absolute beginner. In this video series, you learn basic Japanese grammar patterns and phrases through easy to follow audio and visual cues. Here is what we will cover in this lesson. |
| Ready? |
| Let’s get started. |
| Naomi: スーパーがあります。 (Sūpā ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: In this lesson, you will learn how to say that something exists as in, there is a blank. And also how to say that you have something. |
| Naomi: The same pattern is used for both of these meanings. |
| Jessi: Yes, and that pattern is? |
| Naomi: A があります。 (A ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: A があります。 (A ga arimasu.) So let’s take a look at the first meaning talking about something existing. When we say it this way, it sounds really deep but what are we really trying to say? |
| Naomi: Well it’s like saying, there is a dah-dah-dah in English, like there is a supermarket, or there is a convenient store, there is a party, things like that. |
| Jessi: How about there is a person? |
| Naomi: Nope. This pattern is used for inanimate objects only. |
| Jessi: Got it. So objects, things, places, anything that’s not alive basically? |
| Naomi: Right. |
| Jessi: So again, the pattern is |
| Naomi: A があります。 (A ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: Let’s hear some examples. How about the ones that we just gave in English? |
| Naomi: Okay supermarket is スーパー (sūpā) in Japanese. So to say there is a supermarket, we say スーパーがあります。 (Sūpā ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: スーパー (sūpā) plus があります(ga arimasu). スーパーがあります。 (Sūpā ga arimasu.) |
| Naomi: Right. Convenience store is コンビニ (konbini) So to say, there is a convenience store, we say コンビニがあります。 (Konbini ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: コンビニ (konbini) plus があります。 (ga arimasu.) コンビニがあります。 (Konbini ga arimasu.) |
| Naomi: That’s it. |
| Jessi: Okay. So like we said earlier, this があります (ga arimasu) has another meaning. |
| Naomi: Yes. And that’s the meaning of to have |
| Jessi: As in, I have, you have, he has, et cetera. So to say that you have something, the structure is, item plus があります (ga arimasu), just like before. |
| Naomi: Okay. How about saying you have time? Time is 時間 (jikan) . So to say I have time, you’d say 時間があります。 (Jikan ga arimasu.) |
| Jessi: 時間 (jikan) plus があります。 (ga arimasu.) 時間があります。 (Jikan ga arimasu.). Now you know how to use があります (ga arimasu) to talk about the existence of inanimate objects and having something. |
| Naomi: スーパーがあります。 (Sūpā ga arimasu.) |
| Naomi: 兄弟がいますか。 (Kyōdai ga imasu ka.) |
| Jessi: In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about the existence of animate objects, that is people and animals. If you remember, we learned object があります (ga arimasu) to talk about the existence of an inanimate object and also to talk about having something. This time what’s our structure? |
| Naomi: Person or animal plus がいます。 (ga imasu.) . |
| Jessi: がいます (ga imasu) . |
| Naomi: Remember that this can only be used with living things people or animals. |
| Jessi: Right. |
| Naomi: So Jessi, can you tell us when we’d use this structure? |
| Jessi: Well first, you can use it to talk about someone being physically present. |
| Naomi: Yes, as in, Tailor is here, or, the teacher is here. |
| Jessi: Right. And that would be covered by person plus がいます (ga imasu.) |
| Naomi: Right. And how else? |
| Jessi: You can also use it to talk about having family members as in, I have a brother, I have a sister, et cetera. |
| Naomi: Yes. Family member plus がいます (ga imasu) . |
| Jessi: Let’s hear some examples. What’s the word for siblings Naomi? |
| Naomi: 兄弟 (kyōdai) |
| Jessi: 兄弟 (kyōdai) Brothers and sisters. So when someone asks you if you have brothers or sisters, they will ask, Naomi? |
| Naomi: 兄弟がいますか。 (Kyōdai ga imasu ka.) |
| Jessi: 兄弟がいますか。 (kyōdai ga imasu ka.) Do you have any brothers or sisters? Remember that the か (ka) at the end makes it a question. |
| 兄弟がいますか。 (kyōdai ga imasu ka.) |
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136 Comments
HidePractice making your own sentences here, and let us know if you have any questions! :)
Juliaさん、こんにちは。
Thank you for trying the short dialogue😊
Very good job!
The last line would be
ちがいます。催しは三時でした。
Hope you enjoy leaning Japanese with us:)
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
石田スイ：催しがあります。
赤坂アカ：いいえ、催しがありません。
藤本タツキ：ちがいも。催し三時でした。
石田スイ：催しがあります。
赤坂アカ：いいえ、催しがありません。
藤本タツキ：ちがいも。催し三時からでした。
I forget to add Kara. This is the fixed sentence.
Hi Matt,
Thank you for posting and we are very sorry for this late reply.
And also we are sorry that this lesson confused you for a long time.
In this lesson we learn the phrases あります and います in the pattern, so it's actually different type of approach.
However, we would like to take your opinion as our important reference.
Hi Anastasia,
Thank you for your comment and we are really sorry for the late reply.
Grammatically we can say "kore/sore/are ga arimasu", as they should be subject.
But in most cases it does not make sense.
Usually "kore/sore/are" are used with "desu" to say "this/that is something."
Please let us know if you have any further question:)
Sincerely,
Miho
Team Japanesepod101.com
こんにちは ジェイダ
コメントをありがとうございます。
文章はかんぺきです👍 Good job!
Keep up the good work and Feel free to ask us any questions.
Sono
Team JapanesePod101.com
私はペットはすきです。でも、犬はいません。
兄弟がいます。車がありません。
こんにちは Vu Tran,
Thank you so much for your positive message! 😇❤️️
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
We wish you good luck with your language studies.
Kind regards,
レヴェンテ (Levente)
Team JapanesePod101.com
A satisfactory lesson!
Hello 😄
Can you clarify please the following?
Can we use "kore/sore/are" with the verbs "imasu" and "arimasu"? As far as I understand, we can use them in the sentences like "kore wa ringo desu" if we want to indicate an apple. But can we use the same words to say about the existence of something? For example, "kore wa ringo ga arimasu". Or should we use only "ringo ga arimasu"?
Are "kore/sore/are" used only with "desu" and serve only for indicating something?
Thank you ;)
Reviewing this lesson later, I realised this is one of the lessons that I had to unlearn.
You should state that が marks the subject of the sentence and comes after the noun rather than があります as a set phrase.
It took me so many books and lessons before I was clearly taught that the particle comes after the work, like a pair. :(
コンビニ ＋ があります confused me for a long time
コンビニが ＋ あります would have been better