Japanese reference
ある
to be; exist (things)
Irregular · 16 form tables
Rows describe verb forms and levels of politeness. Honorific and humble forms are labeled separately. Strong commands appear under additional forms.
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Basic
Non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form | ある (aru)be there (things, plain) |
| Polite | あります (arimasu)be there (things, polite) |
| Modifying a noun | ある (aru)that exists; that is there (things) |
Negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Negative | ない (nai)not be there (things, plain) |
| Polite negative | ありません (arimasen)not be there (things, polite) |
Past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past | あった (atta)was there (things, plain) |
| Polite past | ありました (arimashita)was there (things, polite) |
Past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past negative | なかった (nakatta)was not there (things, plain) |
| Polite past negative | ありませんでした (arimasendeshita)was not there (things, polite) |
Linking
Te form
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Te-form | あって (atte)be there and ... (things) |
| Polite te-form | ありまして (arimashite)being there (and then) |
Conditional, ba
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, ba | あれば (areba)if there is ... (things) |
| Rare literary polite conditional | ありますれば (arimasureba)if you are there (rare and literary). In ordinary polite conversation, use the plain conditional and make the main clause polite |
Conditional, tara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Conditional, tara | あったら (attara)if there is ... (things) |
| Polite conditional, tara | ありましたら (arimashitara)if you are there |
Polite
Polite non past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite non-past form | あります (arimasu)be there |
Polite negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite negative form | ありません (arimasen)not be there |
Polite past
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past form | ありました (arimashita)was there |
Polite past negative
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Polite past negative form | ありませんでした (arimasendeshita)was not there |
Aspect
Completion or regret
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Completion or regret | あってしまう (atteshimau)be there completely or regrettably |
| Polite completion or regret | あってしまいます (atteshimaimasu)be there completely or regrettably |
Past experience
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Past experience | あったことがある (attakotogaaru)have the experience of: was there |
| Polite past experience | あったことがあります (attakotogaarimasu)have the experience of: was there |
Conditions
Automatic result, to
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Automatic result, to | あると (aruto)whenever you be there |
| Polite automatic result | ありますと (arimasuto)whenever you be there |
Given that, nara
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Given that, nara | あるなら (arunara)if you mean to be there |
Probability
| Person, form or usage | Form and meaning |
|---|---|
| Probability | あるだろう (arudarou)probably be there |
| Polite probability | あるでしょう (arudeshou)probably be there |
Forms from the Loquus reference. Only supplied forms are shown. Browse all Japanese entries.