Welcome back! In our previous lesson, we mastered polite requests using the te-form. Now, we'll learn how to describe what's happening right now, or even habitual actions, using the versatile ～ています (te-imasu) form. Think of it like the English present continuous tense ("is doing") and sometimes even the simple present tense (for habitual actions or states).
The formula is simple:
Let's illustrate with examples:
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | て-form | ～ています Form | English Meaning(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| たべる (taberu) | たべて | たべています (tabeteimasu) | is eating, eats (habitually) |
| よむ (yomu) | よんで | よんでいます (yondeimasu) | is reading, reads (habitually) |
| みる (miru) | みて | みています (miteimasu) | is watching/looking at, watches/looks at (habitually) |
| かく (kaku) | かいて | かいています (kaiteimasu) | is writing, writes (habitually) |
| のむ (nomu) | のんで | のんでいます (nondeimasu) | is drinking, drinks (habitually) |
| あるく (aruku) | あるいて | あるいています (aruiteimasu) | is walking, walks (habitually) |
| する (suru) | して | しています (shiteimasu) | is doing, does (habitually) |
| くる (kuru) | きて | きています (kiteimasu) | is coming, comes (habitually); wearing (see note below) |
Important Note about "きています (kiteimasu)": While it can mean "is coming" or "comes," it also has a special usage related to wearing clothes that are above the waist (like shirts, jackets, ties, etc.). For pants/skirts/shoes, we'll use different verbs later.
For example:
わたしは いま べんきょうしています。(Watashi wa ima benkyou shiteimasu.)
I am studying now.
かれは ほんを よんでいます。(Kare wa hon o yondeimasu.)
He is reading a book.
せんせいは はなしています。(Sensei wa hanashiteimasu.)
The teacher is speaking.
いもうとは テレビを みています。(Imouto wa terebi o miteimasu.) My younger sister is watching TV.
あには コーヒーを のんでいます。(Ani wa koohii o nondeimasu.) My older brother is drinking coffee.
The ～ています form isn't just for things happening at this very moment. It can also describe:
Let's delve into these nuances:
If you perform an action regularly, you can use ～ています. It's similar to using the simple present tense in English to describe habits.
This is a crucial point! For verbs that describe a change of state, using ～ています describes the resulting state after the change has occurred. This is super common with verbs like "know," "live," and "be married."
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | ～ています Form | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| しる (shiru) | しっています (shitteimasu) | know (I know, you know, etc. - the state of knowing) |
| すむ (sumu) | すんでいます (sundeimasu) | live (I live, you live, etc. - the state of living somewhere) |
| もつ (motsu) | もっています (motteimasu) | have (I have, you have, etc. - the state of possession) |
| わすれる (wasureru) | わすれています (wasureteimasu) | have forgotten (I have forgotten) |
Examples:
Consider this: Some actions are transient (they happen briefly), while others are continuous (they last for a while). The ～ています form is more commonly used with continuous actions. While you can use it with transient actions, it implies the action is still somewhat "fresh" or recent.
For example:
Intransitive verbs (verbs that don't take a direct object) and transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) behave slightly differently with ～ています.
This isn't a hard and fast rule, but it's a helpful guideline.
In casual conversation, ～ています is often shortened to ～てる (teru). Similarly, ～ていません is shortened to ～てない (tenai) or ～てへん(tehen)(mostly in Kansai dialect).
Example:
Let's test your understanding!
Translate the following into Japanese using ～ています:
a. I am eating breakfast. b. She is watching TV. c. We are writing a letter. d. He is wearing a hat. e. They live in Osaka.
a. わたしは あさごはんを たべています。(Watashi wa asagohan o tabeteimasu.) b. かのじょは テレビを みています。(Kanojo wa terebi o miteimasu.) c. わたしたちは てがみを かいています。(Watashitachi wa tegami o kaiteimasu.) d. かれは ぼうしを かぶっています。(Kare wa boushi o kabutteimasu.) Note that for items worn on the head, the verb かぶる (kaburu) is used. e. かれらは おおさかに すんでいます。(Karera wa Oosaka ni sundeimasu.)
What's the difference in meaning between the following sentences?
a. ドアがしまります。(Doa ga shimarimasu.) b. ドアがしまっています。(Doa ga shimatteimasu.)
a. ドアがしまります。(Doa ga shimarimasu.) - The door will close / The door closes. (Describes the action of the door closing). b. ドアがしまっています。(Doa ga shimatteimasu.) - The door is closed. (Describes the state of the door being closed).
Translate the following sentence into Japanese, using the appropriate form of "to know": "I know Mr. Tanaka."
わたしは たなかさんを しっています。(Watashi wa Tanaka-san o shitteimasu.)
Rewrite the following sentences in casual form (using ~てる):
a. 彼は本を読んでいます。(Kare wa hon o yondeimasu.) b. 彼女は何をしていますか。(Kanojo wa nani o shiteimasu ka?)
a. 彼は本を読んでる。(Kare wa hon o yonderu.) b. 彼女は何をしてるの？(Kanojo wa nani o shiteru no?)
Describe what the following people are most likely doing using ~ています。 Be creative!
a. 赤ちゃん (akachan - baby) b. 猫 (neko - cat) c. サラリーマン (sarariiman - office worker)
a. 赤ちゃんは泣いています。(Akachan wa naiteimasu.) - The baby is crying. OR 赤ちゃんはミルクを飲んでいます。(Akachan wa miruku o nondeimasu.) - The baby is drinking milk. b. 猫は寝ています。(Neko wa neteimasu.) - The cat is sleeping. OR 猫は遊んでいます。(Neko wa asondeimasu.) - The cat is playing. c. サラリーマンは働いています。(Sarariiman wa hataraiteimasu.) - The office worker is working. OR サラリーマンはコーヒーを飲んでいます。(Sarariiman wa koohii o nondeimasu.) - The office worker is drinking coffee.