Episode 22

Living Things — います

Learn います — to say that people and animals exist. The living counterpart to あります.

N5imasu-exist-animate
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Last episode you filled your room with objects using あります. But a desk can't walk away. A cat can. Today you learn the verb for living things.

What You'll Learn#

〜にいますN5

[living thing] exists at [location] — for people and animals

庭に猫がいます (There is a cat in the garden)

New vocabulary: います (exists — animate), 猫 (cat), 犬 (dog), 人 (person), 子供 (child), 庭 (garden)

Lesson Transcript#

The Rule: If It Can Walk Away, Use います#

N5home

Grandmother is in the garden.

Neutral

祖母は庭にいます。

Casual

祖母は庭にいる。

Try in JIVX
N5home

I have a dog.

Neutral

犬がいます。

Casual

犬がいる。

Try in JIVX

Combining います with Position Words#

N5home

There is a cat under the table.

Neutral

テーブルの下に猫がいます。

Casual

テーブルの下に猫がいる。

Try in JIVX
N5home

There is a child next to the door.

Neutral

ドアの横に子供がいます。

Casual

ドアの横に子供がいる。

Try in JIVX

あります vs います#

VerbUsed forExample
ありますNon-living things (books, desks, money)机があります (There is a desk)
いますLiving things (people, animals)猫がいます (There is a cat)

The simple test: if it can walk away from you, use います.

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