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Languages Study | Languages of the East | Japanese III

ÀÓÄÈÎ 380 | GRAMMAR I - 07.01
   
Grammar I - 07.01  
～ている ~ te iru
  Continuous state or activity
 

A verbal "te-form", when followed by the helping verb いる - iru, means either of the following:
  1) an action in progress, or
  2) a past event that is connected with the present.
   
 

1. Verbs that describe continuous states
 

The -te-forms of these verbs are never us3ed together with the helping verb iru / -imasu.

ある

 to be, to be located at

aru

  
いる to be, to live
iru  
   
 

2. Verbs that describe activities that last for some time
 

Verbs like taberu (to eat), yomu (to read), motsu (to carry, to have/hold).

Te-form of these verbs, followed by the helping verb iru (to be) / -imasu, describes an action in progress.

スー　さん　は　いま　べんきょうして　います。

 Sue is studying right now.
suu san wa ima benkyoo-shite imasu.  
たけし　さん　は　えいご　の　ほん　を　よんで　います。 Takeshi is reading a book in English.
takeshi san wa eigo no hon o yonde imasu.  
   
わたし　は　えいご　を　おしえて　います。 I teach English (in general).
or
I am teaching English (right now).
watashi-wa eigo o oshiete imasu.  
メアリー　さん　は　にほんご　を　べんきょうして　います。

Mary studies Japanese.
or
Mary is studying Japanese (right now).
mearii san wa nihongo o benkyoo-shite imasu.  
   
 

3. Verbs that describe changes that are more or less instantaneous
 

Verbs like kekkon suru (to get married).
~te iru in this case describes the result of a change.
やました　せんせい　は　けっこんして　います。 Prof. Yamashita is married.
yamashita sensei-wa kekkon-shite imasu.  
まちこ　さん　は　まど　の　そばに　すわって　います。 Michiko is seated near the window.
michiko-sa-wa mado no soba-ni suwatte imasu.  
  Below are some examples of verbs commonly used in the ～ている - ~te iru framework.
もつ　→　もって　いる to have / he has
motsu - motte iru  
スー　さん　は　おかね　を　たくさん　もって　います。 Sue has a lot of money.
suu san wa okane o takusan motte imasu.  
   
しる　→　しって　いる to know / he knows
shiru - shite iru  
やました　せんせい　は　えいご　を　して　います。 Professor Yamashita knows English.
yamashita sensei wa eigo o shite imasu.  
   
ふとる　→　ふとって　いる to to be overweight
futoru - futotte iru  
トム　さん　は　ちょっと　ふとって　います。 Tom is a little overweight.
tomu san wa chotto futotte imasu.  
   
やせる　→　やせて　いる to be thin
yaseru - yasete iru  
わたしの　おとうと　は　やせて　います。 My younger brother is very thin.
watashi-no otooto wa yasete imasu.  
   
きる　→　きて　いる to wear
kiru - kite iru  
メアリー　さん　は　Tシャツ　を　きて　います。 Mary is wearing (wears) a T-shirt.
mearii san wa T-shatsu o kite imasu.  
   

おきる　→　おきて　いる

 to be awake
okiru - okite iru  
お父さん　は　おきて　います。 Dad is up and awake.
otoosan wa okite imasu.  
   

すむ　→　すんで　いる

 to live
sumu - sunde iru  
ちちはは　は　とうきょう　に　すんで　います。 My parents live in Tokyo.
chichi-haha wa tookyoo ni sunde imasu.  
   

つとめる　→　つとめて　いる

 to work for
tsutomeru - tsutomete iru  
わたしの　あね　は　にほん　の　かいしゃ　に　つとめて　います。 My older sister works for a Japanese company.
watashino ane wa nihon no kaisha ni tsutomete imasu.  
  Verbs like iku, kuru belong to this group.
Thus, itte iru, kite iru indicate the current state that result from prior movements, not movements that are currently in progress.
行く・いく to go, to move
iku  
来る・くる to arrive
kuru  
行っている・いっている be going
itte iru  
来ている・きている be arriving
kite iru  
   
ちゅうごく　に　いって　います。 Somebody has gone to (is in) China.
Not: She is going to China.
chuugoku ni itte imasu.  
うち　に　きって　います。

Somebody has come over to visit.
Not: Somebody is coming over.

uchi-ni kite imasu.

  
   
  It is important to note that ～ている - ~te iru verbs conjugate as a る - ru verb.
食べている・たべて　いる

to be eating

tabete iru

  
たべて　います I'm eating
tabete imasu  
たべて　いません I'm not eating
tabete imasen  
たべて　いました I was eating
tabete imashita  
たべて　いません　でした I wasn't eating.
tabete imasen deshita.