ある vs いる: When to Use Aru and Iru in Japanese

Both ある (aru) and いる (iru) translate as "there is" or "there are" — yet they are never interchangeable. Picking the wrong one is one of the most common N5-level errors, and every ranking Japanese resource on this topic agrees it deserves a thorough explanation. This guide gives you the clear rule, every conjugation form, real sentence practice, and the edge cases that trip up even intermediate learners.

What Is the Difference Between ある and いる?

The deciding factor is animacy — specifically, whether the subject can move under its own will.

The sentence pattern is identical for both verbs:

[Location] に [Subject] が ある / いる

A quick mental test: Can this thing get up and walk away on its own? If yes, use いる. If no, use ある.

Before this lesson, you studied the location words and directional particles that work alongside ある and いる — the particle に in particular is the backbone of every existence sentence you will write, so those two lessons naturally reinforce each other.

ある and いる Conjugation Table

Both verbs have polite and plain registers. Learn all the forms now so you are never caught off-guard in conversation or on a test.

Critical irregularity: ある's plain negative is ない (nai) — NOT ~~あらない~~. This is one of the most reliably tested points at N5 level.

In formal settings — class, work, meeting someone for the first time — use the polite forms. With close friends and in casual notes, plain forms are natural. Once you are comfortable here, the て-form guide covers how あって and いて connect into longer, chained sentences.

Example Sentences: ある and いる in Use

The sentences below cover location, negation, and past tense in both plain and polite styles.

Inanimate things — ある

1. つくえ に ほん が ある。
   Tsukue ni hon ga aru.
   There is a book on the desk.
2. れいぞうこ に たまご が あります。
   Reizōko ni tamago ga arimasu.
   There are eggs in the refrigerator.
3. かばん に さいふ が ない。
   Kaban ni saifu ga nai.
   There is no wallet in the bag.
4. きのう、ここ に じてんしゃ が あった。
   Kinō, koko ni jitensha ga atta.
   Yesterday there was a bicycle here.
5. つくえ の うえ に なに も ありません。
   Tsukue no ue ni nani mo arimasen.
   There is nothing on the desk.

Animate beings — いる

6. いえ に ねこ が いる。
   Ie ni neko ga iru.
   There is a cat at home.
7. こうえん に こども が います。
   Kōen ni kodomo ga imasu.
   There are children in the park.
8. へや に だれ も いない。
   Heya ni dare mo inai.
   There is no one in the room.
9. むかし、この まち に ゾウ が いた。
   Mukashi, kono machi ni zō ga ita.
   Long ago, there were elephants in this town.
10. きょう は せんせい が いません。
    Kyō wa sensei ga imasen.
    The teacher is not here today.

Using ある and いる for Possession

ある and いる also express having something — this surprises learners who only know the "there is/are" meaning. The pattern shifts slightly:

[Person] は [Thing / Person] が ある / いる

Use ある when you possess an object or concept. Use いる when the "possession" is a person or animal in your life — a pet, a partner, a sibling.

11. わたし は いぬ が いる。
    Watashi wa inu ga iru.
    I have a dog.
12. かれ は おかね が ある。
    Kare wa okane ga aru.
    He has money.
13. かのじょ は いもうと が いる。
    Kanojo wa imōto ga iru.
    She has a younger sister.

The living / non-living logic is identical to existence sentences — you simply apply it to ownership.

Exceptions: When the Rule Gets Tricky

Plants use ある, not いる

Even though plants are biologically alive, Japanese treats them as inanimate because they cannot move by their own will. Every flower, tree, and cactus takes ある.

にわ に さくら が ある。
Niwa ni sakura ga aru.
There is a cherry tree in the garden.

Cherry trees (桜) are one of Japan's most beloved natural symbols — celebrated every spring with nationwide viewing parties — yet grammatically they still take ある. This is a helpful cultural anchor: if the country's most iconic living plant takes ある, you know the rule is about volitional movement, not biology.

ある's negative is ない — not あらない

This bears its own callout because it catches even intermediate learners. In plain speech, ある negates to ない (nai) and its past negative is なかった (nakatta). The polite forms (ありません, ありませんでした) look more regular and are easier to remember; it is the plain forms that cause written errors.

Robots, stuffed animals, and beloved objects

Standard written Japanese uses ある for all non-living objects, including robots and toys. In casual spoken Japanese, some speakers do use いる for a beloved robot character or a favourite stuffed animal — expressing emotional attachment, not grammar. In writing and formal speech, use ある for these items without exception.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

Applying いる to plants

Learners who associate いる with "living things" often use it for plants. Remember: the cut-off is voluntary movement. Plants grow, but they do not travel from place to place under their own will, so they belong with ある every time.

Writing あらない instead of ない

Because いる negates regularly (いる → いない), learners assume ある follows the same pattern and write あらない. It does not exist as a standard form. Memorise the pairing directly: ある → ない, あった → なかった.

Dropping or swapping the particle が

Existence sentences use が to mark the subject: ねこ が いる. Substituting は (ねこ は いる) is not ungrammatical, but it shifts the nuance — が introduces new information ("there IS a cat here"), while は implies contrast or topic shift ("as for the cat, it is here"). At the beginner stage, default to が unless you deliberately want that contrast.

Using いる for possessed objects

Once learners discover that いる handles "I have a girlfriend / a pet," they sometimes extend it to objects: ~~くるま が いる~~. Objects you own still take ある: くるま が ある (I have a car).

For a broader picture of how ある and いる sit within the Japanese verb system, the Japanese verb basics guide is the right place to revisit verb types and conjugation logic. And to grow your vocabulary alongside this grammar, the common Japanese verbs guide covers the high-frequency action words you will pair with these existence verbs most often.

Still finding that ある and いる get mixed up the moment you speak in real sentences? A one-on-one teacher catches those errors the instant they happen — start your Free Trial with Kind Japanese and practise these exact forms live over LINE.

Practice Quiz

Test yourself before moving on. Choose ある or いる for each item, then check the answers below.

Part 1 — Choose ある or いる

Part 2 — Translate into English

Part 3 — Fill in the blank (write in Japanese)

Answers

FAQ

What is the difference between ある (aru) and いる (iru) in Japanese?

ある expresses the existence or possession of inanimate things — objects, places, plants, and abstract concepts. いる expresses the existence or possession of animate beings — people, animals, and insects. The deciding test is whether the subject can move under its own will: if yes, use いる; if no, use ある.

Do plants use ある or いる in Japanese?

Plants always use ある, even though they are biologically alive. Because plants cannot travel under their own will, Japanese grammar treats them as inanimate. 木 が ある (there is a tree) is correct; 木 が いる is unnatural to any native speaker, regardless of how alive or beloved the tree may be.

What is the negative form of ある?

The plain negative of ある is ない (nai) — not あらない, which is not a standard form. This is an irregular pattern unique to ある. The polite negative follows a more predictable shape: ありません (arimasen). Memorise the pair directly: ある → ない, あった → なかった.

Can いる ever be used for robots or stuffed animals?

In casual spoken Japanese, some speakers use いる for robots or stuffed animals they feel genuine affection for — it expresses emotional closeness, not strict grammar. In standard written Japanese and formal speech, ある is always correct for non-living objects. When in doubt, use ある for anything that is not a person, animal, or insect.

Continue learning

← Location words and directional particles — the に particle at the core of every ある / いる sentence

→ Expressing desires with 〜たい — your next step for saying what you want to do

This article is Lesson 53 of the Kind Japanese 100-day beginner curriculum.