How to Say “I Have…” in Japanese: あります and います

The short answer

Japanese often expresses “having” by saying that something exists in relation to you. Use あります (arimasu) for non-living things and います (imasu) for people and animals.

The same sentences can mean “there is a car” or “there is a dog” in another context. English chooses “have” when the conversation is about what belongs to you or is part of your life.

Use あります for non-living things

Put the thing before が, then add あります.

Practise with familiar nouns such as くるま (kuruma, car), じてんしゃ (jitensha, bicycle) and じかん (jikan, time).

This pattern can describe ownership, availability or simple existence. Context supplies the most natural English meaning.

Use います for people and animals

Put the person or animal before が, then add います.

For pets, try いぬ (inu, dog), ねこ (neko, cat) or ペット (petto, pet).

You can use the same pattern with family words such as あに (ani, older brother) and あね (ane, older sister).

Ask and answer questions

Add か to ask whether someone has something, a pet or a family member.

Say that you do not have something

The negative of あります is ありません. The negative of います is いません.

The role of が

In this beginner pattern, が marks the thing, person or animal that exists. English usually makes the owner the subject instead, which is why the translation often uses “I have.”

If this particle is still unfamiliar, continue with the beginner guide to は and が.

あります and います in location sentences

These verbs also tell you what is in a place. Add [place] + に before the thing or living being.

This is the same existence rule, not a separate meaning to memorise.

Common beginner mistakes

• Using あります for a pet. Say いぬがいます, not いぬがあります.
• Using います for an ordinary object. Say くるまがあります, not くるまがいます.
• Mixing the negatives. Use ありません for non-living things and いません for people and animals.
• Treating either verb as a universal translation of English “have.” The Japanese choice depends on what exists and on the context.

Practise saying it

Say each line aloud, then replace the noun with one of your own.

A short role-play

Quick quiz

1. Which verb do you use for a car: あります or います?
2. How do you say “I have a dog”?
3. How do you say “I don't have time”?
4. Complete ねこが ___: “I have a cat.”
5. How do you ask “Do you have a car?”

Answers

1. あります (arimasu).
2. いぬがいます (inu ga imasu).
3. じかんがありません (jikan ga arimasen).
4. います: ねこがいます (neko ga imasu).
5. くるまがありますか (kuruma ga arimasu ka).

Continue learning

Build more family, pet and everyday-object words with the YapaneseAI vocabulary library. Continue through the beginner learning hub for more practical lessons.