あります / います — Existence of Things and Beings

Properties

Property	Value
Level	N5
Type	Stative verb
Register	Neutral

Meaning

These two verbs both express existence or presence, but they apply to different categories:

• あります — used for inanimate things: objects, plants, events, scheduled items, abstract situations
• います — used for animate beings: people, animals, insects

Structure

[Subject が] + [Location に] + あります / います

The subject particle が marks what exists. The location particle に marks where it exists. Both can be omitted when clear from context.

Examples

1. Object location (あります)

机の上に本があります。 Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu. There is a book on the desk.

2. Person location (います)

教室に学生がいます。 Kyōshitsu ni gakusei ga imasu. There are students in the classroom.

3. Animal (います)

庭に犬がいます。 Niwa ni inu ga imasu. There is a dog in the garden.

4. Event / scheduled item (あります)

明日、テストがあります。 Ashita, tesuto ga arimasu. There is a test tomorrow.

5. Location pattern — thing exists at place

駅の近くにコンビニがあります。 Eki no chikaku ni konbini ga arimasu. There is a convenience store near the station.

6. Possession pattern — person has something

私にはお金があります。 Watashi ni wa okane ga arimasu. I have money. (Money exists with me.)

Location Pattern

[Place に] + [Thing が] + あります

Use this pattern to state that something exists at a particular place.

冷蔵庫にジュースがあります。 Reizōko ni jūsu ga arimasu. There is juice in the refrigerator.

Possession Pattern

[Person に] + [Thing が] + あります

Possession in Japanese is expressed as "something exists at/with a person" rather than "a person has something".

田中さんに車があります。 Tanaka-san ni kuruma ga arimasu. Tanaka-san has a car.

Common Mistakes

Using あります for people or animals

部屋に母があります。 (incorrect) 部屋に母がいます。(correct) Heya ni haha ga imasu. My mother is in the room.

People and animals are animate, so they always take います, never あります. A common slip is applying あります to family members or pets — remember that animate beings require います regardless of how familiar or object-like they may seem in context.

Note on plants: Plants are inanimate and take あります, even though they are alive biologically.

庭に木があります。 Niwa ni ki ga arimasu. There is a tree in the garden.