ている (te iru) and てある (te aru) are two of the most commonly confused grammar patterns in intermediate Japanese. Both involve the te-form of a verb followed by a state verb, but they express very different things: ている describes an ongoing action or resulting state from someone’s perspective, while てある describes a deliberate preparation whose result is visible. This deep-dive guide covers every nuance with clear examples.
| Pattern | Core Meaning | Agent Focus | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| ている (te iru) | Ongoing action OR resulting state | Who is doing / who is in the state | Progressive action, habitual, stative verbs |
| てある (te aru) | A deliberate action has been done; result remains | What has been prepared / what was done intentionally | Preparation, arrangements, things someone set up |
YukaThe easiest way to remember: てある implies someone did something on purpose and the result is there for you to see. ている just describes the state or ongoing action without that ‘intentional preparation’ nuance. If you can add ‘on purpose’ or ‘in preparation’ to the sentence and it makes sense, use てある.
ている (Te Iru): Ongoing Action and Resulting States
ている has two main uses: (1) describing an action in progress right now, and (2) describing a state that resulted from a completed action. English speakers often only recognize the progressive use, but the resultant-state use is just as important.
Use 1: Progressive action (action still happening)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 陼が除っている。 | Ame ga futte iru. | It is raining. (action in progress) |
| 御は本を読んでいる。 | Kare wa hon wo yonde iru. | He is reading a book. |
| 子供たちが運んでいる。 | Kodomotachi ga asonde iru. | The children are playing. |
Use 2: Resultant state (action completed; result ongoing)
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 竜が開いている。 | Mado ga aite iru. | The window is open. (it was opened; the state remains) |
| 御は結婚している。 | Kare wa kekkon shite iru. | He is married. (result of having married) |
| 値段が下がっている。 | Nedan ga sagatte iru. | Prices have gone down. (and remain low) |
てある (Te Aru): Deliberate Preparation — Someone Did This on Purpose
てある describes a situation where someone intentionally performed an action and the result is still present. There is always a hidden agent — a person who deliberately caused this state. The object of the action is marked with が or は, not を, because the emphasis is on the resulting state of the object, not the action itself.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 竜が開けてある。 | Mado ga akete aru. | The window has been opened (by someone, intentionally). |
| テーブルにはナイフが置いてある。 | Tēburu ni wa naifu ga oite aru. | A knife has been placed on the table (in preparation). |
| 大小が書いてある。 | Daijoubu ga kaite aru. | “OK” has been written (it was written there intentionally). |
| やきが准備してある。 | Yaki ga junbi shite aru. | The grill has been prepared (someone set it up). |
| 御が冸少に技を援わしてある。 | Kare ga kanshojo ni tewaza wo hiraware te aru. | A display of skill has been arranged at the venue by him. |
ReiThe key grammar clue for てある: the object gets が or は instead of を. Compare: “竜を開けた” (I opened the window, action focus) vs “竜が開けてある” (The window is in an opened state, result focus). Different particles, different emphasis.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Same Verb, Different Meaning
The clearest way to see the difference is to compare the same verb with both patterns:
| Verb | ている sentence | てある sentence | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 開ける (akeru, open) | 竜が開いている。 (The window is open.) | 竜が開けてある。 (The window has been opened intentionally.) | てある implies someone opened it on purpose; ている is neutral |
| 書く (kaku, write) | 私は書いている。 (I am writing / I have written.) | 名前が書いてある。 (The name has been written [prepared].) | てある emphasizes the prepared result, not who wrote it |
| 准備する (junbi suru, prepare) | 准備している。 (I am preparing.) | 准備してある。 (Preparations have been made.) | てある says the job is done and ready |
Verbs That Only Work With ている
Not all verbs can use てある. Intransitive verbs (verbs with no direct object) and stative verbs cannot form てある because there is no object to have been intentionally acted on.
| Verb | ている (OK) | てある (NOT possible) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 降る (oru, descend / intrans.) | 降っている OK | — | Intransitive; no object to be acted on |
| 知る (shiru, know) | 知っている OK | — | Stative; not an intentional preparation |
| 素朝る (sumu, live) | 住んでいる OK | — | Intransitive; no result “prepared” |
YukaQuick test: if the verb takes を (wo) as its object, it CAN use てある. If it has no wo-object (intransitive), it cannot. This is not 100% perfect but it works for most N4 level verbs!
Quick Quiz
1. ドアが開いて___。 Should you use いる or ある? (The door is standing open — no indication someone opened it.)
→ いる (neutral state, no intentional agent implied)
2. ケーキが知、准備して___。 (The cake has been prepared [for the party].) いる or ある?
→ ある (deliberate preparation by someone)
3. Translate: ペンキガ継いてある。
→ The pen has been laid out (someone placed it there deliberately).
4. Can the intransitive verb 降る (to fall/descend) use てある?
→ No — intransitive verbs cannot form te aru because there is no object that was deliberately acted upon.
Want to drill these patterns with a native speaker? Find a Japanese tutor on italki and practice te-iru vs te-aru in real conversations.
Do you have a sentence where you were not sure whether to use ている or てある? Share it in the comments and we will help you figure out the right choice!
Keep Learning
Comments