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

Someone asks whether you have a car, a pet, or a free afternoon. English answers all three with “have,” but Japanese usually says that the thing exists, and the verb depends on whether that thing is alive.

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.

1. くるまがありますKuruma ga arimasu.I have a car.
2. いぬがいますInu ga imasu.I have a dog.

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).

1. くるまがありますKuruma ga arimasu.I have a car.
2. じてんしゃがありますJitensha ga arimasu.I have a bicycle.
3. じかんがありますJikan ga arimasu.I have 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).

1. いぬがいますInu ga imasu.I have a dog.
2. ねこがいますNeko ga imasu.I have a cat.

The verb is います because a dog or a cat is alive, even though the English still says “have.” You can use the same pattern with family words such as あに (ani, older brother) and あね (ane, older sister).

1. あにがいますAni ga imasu.I have an older brother.
2. あねがいますAne ga imasu.I have an older sister.

Family members are people, so they take います as well.

Ask and answer questions

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

1. くるまがありますかKuruma ga arimasu ka.Do you have a car?
2. ペットがいますかPetto ga imasu ka.Do you have a pet?

A short answer repeats only the verb. Keep the same verb the question used:

1. はい、ありますHai, arimasu.Yes, I do.
2. はい、いますHai, imasu.Yes, I do.

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.

1. くるまがありませんKuruma ga arimasen.I don't have a car.
2. じかんがありませんJikan ga arimasen.I don't have time.
3. ペットがいませんPetto ga imasen.I don't have a pet.

In a short reply, いいえ plus the negative verb is enough:

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 a place and に before the thing or living being:

1. いえにじてんしゃがありますIe ni jitensha ga arimasu.There is a bicycle at home.
2. いえにねこがいますIe ni neko ga imasu.There is a cat at home.

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 あります and います

Say it aloud

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

1. じかんがありますJikan ga arimasu.I have time.
2. いぬがいますInu ga imasu.I have a dog.
3. くるまがありませんKuruma ga arimasen.I don't have a car.

A short role-play

Two friends are talking about pets. Notice how each answer keeps います because every animal in the conversation is alive:

1. ペットがいますかPetto ga imasu ka.Do you have a pet?
2. はい、ねこがいますHai, neko ga imasu.Yes, I have a cat.
3. いぬもいますかInu mo imasu ka.Do you have a dog too?
4. いいえ、いぬはいませんIie, inu wa imasen.No, I don't have a dog.

In the last answer the verb is still います, now in its negative form, because the question is still about an animal.

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).

Keep this in mind

To say you have something, say that it exists. Use あります for things that are not alive and います for people and animals, with the thing before が. Add か to ask, and change the ending to ありません or いません to say you do not have it.

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.