How to Say “There Is” and “There Are” in Japanese: あります and います

To say that something or someone exists somewhere in Japanese, beginners need two expressions: あります (arimasu) and います (imasu). By the end of this lesson, you will know which one to use for objects, places, animals and people, and you will be able to describe what is around you.

What does it mean?

あります (arimasu): there is / there are / exists.

います (imasu): there is / there are / is here.

The important difference is what you are talking about.

Use あります (arimasu) for things that are not alive, such as shops, books, chairs and buildings.

コンビニがあります (konbini ga arimasu): There is a convenience store.

ほんがあります (hon ga arimasu): There is a book.

Use います (imasu) for people and animals.

ともだちがいます (tomodachi ga imasu): There is a friend / I have a friend.

ねこがいます (neko ga imasu): There is a cat.

A useful beginner rule is:

People and animals: います (imasu)
Places and objects: あります (arimasu)

When would you use it?

You will use あります (arimasu) and います (imasu) whenever you describe what exists or what can be found somewhere.

Imagine someone asks what is near your hotel. You could say:

コンビニがあります (konbini ga arimasu): There is a convenience store.

At home, you might say:

ねこがいます (neko ga imasu): There is a cat / I have a cat.

At school:

せんせいがいます (sensei ga imasu): The teacher is here / There is a teacher.

You can also combine these expressions with simple location words:

ここ (koko): here.
そこ (soko): there.
あそこ (asoko): over there.

For example:

あそこにカフェがあります (asoko ni kafe ga arimasu): There is a café over there.

Examples

Use this when telling someone that a convenience store is available nearby.

Useful when showing someone where a bathroom can be found.

Use this when pointing out a café to a friend while walking.

Use this when saying that a cat is present or, with the right context, that you have one.

Useful at school when telling someone where the teacher is.

Use this when describing people you can see in a park.

Use this when telling someone where a book is.

Use this when talking about a dog that lives at your home.

How to make your own sentence

Start with the simplest pattern:

[thing] + が (ga) + あります (arimasu)

コンビニがあります (konbini ga arimasu): There is a convenience store.

For a person or animal:

[person or animal] + が (ga) + います (imasu)

いぬがいます (inu ga imasu): There is a dog.

To say where something is, use:

[place] + に (ni) + [thing] + が (ga) + あります (arimasu)

ここにホテルがあります (koko ni hoteru ga arimasu): There is a hotel here.

For people and animals:

[place] + に (ni) + [person or animal] + が (ga) + います (imasu)

こうえんにともだちがいます (kouen ni tomodachi ga imasu): My friend is in the park.

Similar expressions

あります (arimasu) vs います (imasu)

Both can express that something exists, but you choose between them based on what exists.

ほんがあります (hon ga arimasu): There is a book.

ねこがいます (neko ga imasu): There is a cat.

Do not use あります (arimasu) for a person simply because that person is standing still. People and animals use います (imasu).

あります (arimasu) vs です (desu)

です (desu) identifies or describes something:

これはホテルです (kore wa hoteru desu): This is a hotel.

あります (arimasu) says that something exists:

ホテルがあります (hoteru ga arimasu): There is a hotel.

Compare:

これはカフェです (kore wa kafe desu): This is a café.

ここにカフェがあります (koko ni kafe ga arimasu): There is a café here.

Common mistakes

1. Using あります (arimasu) for a person

Incorrect:

せんせいがあります (sensei ga arimasu)

Correct:

せんせいがいます (sensei ga imasu): There is a teacher / The teacher is here.

Use います (imasu) for people.

2. Using います (imasu) for an object

Incorrect:

ほんがいます (hon ga imasu)

Correct:

ほんがあります (hon ga arimasu): There is a book.

Use あります (arimasu) for ordinary objects.

3. Forgetting that animals use います (imasu)

Incorrect:

いぬがあります (inu ga arimasu)

Correct:

いぬがいます (inu ga imasu): There is a dog.

Animals are grouped with people for this pattern.

4. Confusing “This is…” with “There is…”

これはコンビニです (kore wa konbini desu): This is a convenience store.

コンビニがあります (konbini ga arimasu): There is a convenience store.

Use です (desu) to identify something. Use あります (arimasu) to say that it exists or is available.

Practise saying it

Say these three lines aloud:

For the substitution exercise, start with:

Replace the blank with:

ねこ (neko): cat
いぬ (inu): dog
ともだち (tomodachi): friend
せんせい (sensei): teacher

Then change います (imasu) to あります (arimasu) and try objects:

ほん (hon): book
いす (isu): chair
テーブル (teeburu): table

For a short role-play:

Now answer this personal question:

Try answering with:

うちに ___ があります (uchi ni ___ ga arimasu): There is a ___ in my home.

Quick quiz

1. Which do you use for a dog: あります (arimasu) or います (imasu)?
2. How do you say “There is a convenience store”?
3. Complete the sentence: ここ___トイレがあります (koko ___ toire ga arimasu).
4. Is せんせいがあります (sensei ga arimasu) correct for “There is a teacher”?
5. What is the basic difference between これはホテルです (kore wa hoteru desu) and ホテルがあります (hoteru ga arimasu)?

Answers

1. います (imasu), because a dog is an animal.
2. コンビニがあります (konbini ga arimasu): There is a convenience store.
3. に (ni): ここにトイレがあります (koko ni toire ga arimasu): There is a bathroom here.
4. No. Use せんせいがいます (sensei ga imasu): There is a teacher.
5. これはホテルです (kore wa hoteru desu) means “This is a hotel.” ホテルがあります (hoteru ga arimasu) means “There is a hotel.”

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between あります and います in Japanese?

Use あります (arimasu) for things such as objects, buildings and places.

Use います (imasu) for people and animals.

ほんがあります (hon ga arimasu): There is a book.

ひとがいます (hito ga imasu): There is a person.

How do you say “There is” in Japanese?

There are two common choices.

あります (arimasu): there is / there are: for things.

います (imasu): there is / there are: for people and animals.

Japanese does not use one expression for every situation in the same way English uses “there is.”

How do you ask “Is there a convenience store?” in Japanese?

コンビニがありますか (konbini ga arimasu ka): Is there a convenience store?

To ask whether one is nearby:

このちかくにコンビニがありますか (kono chikaku ni konbini ga arimasu ka): Is there a convenience store near here?

Do cats and dogs use あります or います?

Use います (imasu).

ねこがいます (neko ga imasu): There is a cat.

いぬがいます (inu ga imasu): There is a dog.

For this beginner rule, animals are treated like people rather than objects.

Can います mean “I have”?

In some situations, yes.

きょうだいがいます (kyoudai ga imasu): I have siblings.

いぬがいます (inu ga imasu): I have a dog.

Japanese can express having a person or animal by saying that the person or animal exists in relation to you. The surrounding conversation makes the intended meaning clear.

Why is に used with places?

In sentences such as ここにカフェがあります (koko ni kafe ga arimasu): there is a café here: に (ni) marks the place where the café exists.

For now, remember the useful pattern:

[place] + に (ni) + [thing] + が (ga) + あります / います (arimasu / imasu).

You can build the words needed for these sentences with the YapaneseAI vocabulary lessons.

Continue learning

Next, learn location words such as うえ (ue): above / on, した (shita): below / under, なか (naka): inside, and となり (tonari): next to. These let you move from saying that something exists to explaining exactly where it is.

You can also practise more beginner Japanese through the YapaneseAI learning hub.

If reading the examples is still difficult, study YapaneseAI kana lessons alongside your speaking practice.