This page introduces Japanese verbs of existence. To understand verbs of existence is very important in order to understand the copulas and adjectival verbs.

Japanese has two types of verbs in order to express existence. One is "aru", which is classified into strong verbs, for motionless objects the other is "iru", which is classified into weak verbs, for motional objects including human beings. The negation of "aru" is replaced with "na-i", which is classified into adjectival verbs. On the other hand, the negation of "iru" is derived into "ina-i", which is the negative derivative verb. However, "na-i" and "ina-i" are mainly used as basic forms. Some polite negation forms are expressed by the inflections of the polite verb "-masu".

How to Make The Polite Present

	dictionary	present participle			polite verb	polite present
		stem	inflection	↓		affirmative	negative
motionless	aru	ar	+ i →	ari	+ masu →	ari-masu	ari-masen
motional	iru	i	→	i	+ masu →	i-masu	i-masen

How to use the polite present forms

Case 1a

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに あります。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-masu.
• (E): A knife is in the kitchen.

Case 1b

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ありません。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-masen.
• (E): A knife is not in the kitchen.

Case 1c

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ありますか。はい、あります。いいえ、ありません。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-masu ka? Hi, ari-masu. Iie, ari-masen.
• (E): Is a knife in the kitchen? Yes, it is. No, it isn't.

Case 1d

• (K): なにが キッチンに ありますか。ナイフが あります。
• (J): Nani ga kitchin ni ari-masu ka? Naifu ga ari-masu.
• (E): What is in the kitchen? A knife is.

Case 1e

• (K): ナイフが どこに ありますか。キッチンに あります。
• (J): Naifu ga doko ni ari-masu ka? Kitchin ni ari-masu.
• (E): Where is a knife? It is in the kitchen.

Case 2a

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに います。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masu.
• (E): Lisa is in the living room.

Case 2b

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いません。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masen.
• (E): Lisa is not in the living room.

Case 2c

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いますか。はい、います。いいえ、いません。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masu ka? Hi, i-masu. Iie, i-masen.
• (E): Is Lisa in the living room? Yes, she is. No, she isn't.

Case 2d

• (K): だれが リヴィングルームに いますか。リサが います。
• (J): Dare ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masu ka? Risa ga i-masu.
• (E): Who is in the living room? Lisa is.

Case 2e

• (K): リサが どこに いますか。リヴィングルームに います。
• (J): Risa ga doko ni i-masu ka? Rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masu.
• (E): Where is Lisa? She is in the living room.

How to Make The Polite Past

	dictionary	present participle			polite verb (past)	polite past
		stem	inflection	↓		affirmative	negative
motionless	aru	ar	+ i →	ari	+ mashita →	ari-mashita	ari-masen deshita
motional	iru	i	→	i	+ mashita →	i-mashita	i-masen deshita

How to use the polite past forms

Case 1a

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ありました。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-mashita.
• (E): A knife was in the kitchen.

Case 1b

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ありませんでした。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-masen deshita.
• (E): A knife was not in the kitchen.

Case 1c

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ありましたか。はい、ありました。いいえ、ありませんでした。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni ari-mashita ka? Hi, ari-mashita. Iie, ari-masen deshita.
• (E): Was a knife in the kitchen? Yes, it was. No, it wasn't.

Case 1d

• (K): なにが キッチンに ありましたか。ナイフが ありました。
• (J): Nani ga kitchin ni ari-mashita ka? Naifu ga ari-mashita.
• (E): What was in the kitchen? A knife was.

Case 1e

• (K): ナイフが どこに ありましたか。キッチンに ありました。
• (J): Naifu ga doko ni ari-mashita ka? Kitchin ni ari-mashita.
• (E): Where was a knife? It was in the kitchen.

Case 2a

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いました。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-mashita.
• (E): Lisa was in the living room.

Case 2b

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いませんでした。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masen deshita.
• (E): Lisa was not in the living room.

Case 2c

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いましたか。はい、いました。いいえ、いませんでした。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-mashita ka? Hi, i-mashita. Iie, i-masen deshita.
• (E): Was Lisa in the living room? Yes, she was. No, she wasn't.

Case 2d

• (K): だれが リヴィングルームに いましたか。リサが いました。
• (J): Dare ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-mashita ka? Risa ga i-mashita.
• (E): Who was in the living room? Lisa was.

Case 2e

• (K): リサが どこに いましたか。リヴィングルームに いました。
• (J): Risa ga doko ni i-mashita ka? Rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-mashita.
• (E): Where was Lisa? She was in the living room.

How to Make The Polite Subjunctive Present

		dictionary	present			polite subjective present
			stem	inflection	↓	affirmative	negative
affirmative	motionless	aru	ar	+ u →	aru	aru deshou
	motional	iru	i	+ ru →	iru	iru deshou
negative	motionless	na-i	na	+ i →	na-i		na-i deshou
	motional	ina-i	ina	+ i →	ina-i		ina-i deshou

How to use the polite subjective present forms

Case 1a

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに あるでしょう。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni aru deshou.
• (E): A knife is probably in the kitchen.

Case 1b

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに ないでしょう。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni na-i deshou.
• (E): A knife is not probably in the kitchen.

Case 2a

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いるでしょう。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni iru deshou.
• (E): Lisa is probably in the living room.

Case 2b

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いないでしょう。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni ina-i deshou.
• (E): Lisa is not probably in the living room.

This list does not introduce the interrogative sentences with the subjunctive forms, because they are not simple correspondence to the indicative sentences. They contain courteous nuance.

How to Make The Polite Subjunctive Past

		dictionary	past			polite subjective past
			stem	inflection	↓	affirmative	negative
affirmative	motionless	aru	ar	+ ta →	atta	atta deshou
	motional	iru	i	+ ta →	ita	ita deshou
negative	motionless	na-i	na	+ katta →	na-katta		na-katta deshou
	motional	ina-i	ina	+ katta →	ina-katta		ina-katta deshou

How to use the polite subjective past forms

Case 1a

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに あったでしょう。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni atta deshou.
• (E): A knife was probably in the kitchen.

Case 1b

• (K): ナイフが キッチンに なかったでしょう。
• (J): Naifu ga kitchin ni na-katta deshou.
• (E): A knife was not probably in the kitchen.

Case 2a

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いたでしょう。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni ita deshou.
• (E): Lisa was probably in the living room.

Case 2b

• (K): リサが リヴィングルームに いなかったでしょう。
• (J): Risa ga rivingu-ruh'mu ni ina-katta deshou.
• (E): Lisa was not probably in the living room.

This list does not introduce the interrogative sentences with the subjunctive forms, because they are not simple correspondence to the indicative sentences. They contain courteous nuance.

Motional objects have their own will. They can have imperative and intent moods.

How to Make The Polite Imperative Mood

		dictionary	present participle			polite imperative mood
			stem	inflection	↓	affirmative	negative
affirmative	motional	iru	i	+ te →	ite	ite kudasai
negative	motional	ina-i	ina	+ i de →	ina-i de		ina-i de kudasai

How to use the polite imperative forms

Case 1a

• (K): リサさん、リヴィングルームに いて ください。
• (J): Risa-san, rivingu-ruh'mu ni ite kudasai.
• (E): Lisa, please stay in the living room.

Case 1b

• (K): リサさん、リヴィングルームに いないで ください。
• (J): Risa-san, rivingu-ruh'mu ni ina-i de kudasai.
• (E): Lisa, please do not stay in the living room.

How to Make The Polite Intent Mood

	dictionary	present participle			polite verb (subjunctive)	polite intent mood
		stem	inflection	↓		affirmative	negative
motional	iru	i	→	i	+ mashou →	i-mashou	i-masu-mai

How to use the polite intent forms

Case 1a

• (K): リサさん、リヴィングルームに いましょう。
• (J): Risa-san, rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-mashou.
• (E): Lisa, let's stay in the living room.

Case 1b

• (K): リサさん、リヴィングルームに いますまい。
• (J): Risa-san, rivingu-ruh'mu ni i-masu-mai.
• (E): Lisa, let's not stay in the living room.

The following table shows you a chart of the tenses.

A chart of the tenses of "aru" (a strong verb)[ Kana Table ]

	tenses	moods		English	Japanese Polite	Ref. Japanese Plain
A F F I R M A T I V E	present	indicative	certain	am/are/is	ári-màsu	àru
			uncertain	am/are/is probably	àru deshou	àru darou
		subjunctive		would be
	past	indicative	certain	was/were	ári-màshita àtta desu(*)	àtta
			uncertain	was/were probably	àtta deshou	àtta darou
		subjunctive		would have been
	future	indicative	certain	will be	ári-màsu	àru
			uncertain	will be probably	àru deshou	àru darou
N E G A T I V E	present	indicative	certain	am/are/is not	ári-masèn nà-i desu(*)	nà-i
			uncertain	am/are/is not probably	nà-i deshou	nà-i darou
		subjunctive		would not be
	past	indicative	certain	was/were not	ári-masèn deshita nà-katta desu(*)	nà-katta
			uncertain	was/were not probably	nà-katta deshou	nà-katta darou
		subjunctive		would not have been
	future	indicative	certain	will not be	ári-masèn nà-i desu(*)	nà-i
			uncertain	will not be probably	nà-i deshou	nà-i darou

• (*) colloquial variants ( not used in formal conversations )

A chart of the tenses of "iru" ( a weak verb ) [Kana Table]

	tenses	moods		English	Japanese Polite	Ref. Japanese Plain
A F F I R M A T I V E	present	indicative	certain	am/are/is	í-màsu	írù
			uncertain	am/are/is probably	írù deshou	írù darou
		subjunctive		would be
		intent		let's be	í-mashòu	íyòu
		imperative		Be	íte kudasài	írò
	past	indicative	certain	was/were	í-màshita ítà desu(*)	ítà
			uncertain	was/were probably	ítà deshou	ítà darou
		subjunctive		would have been
	future	indicative	certain	will be	í-màsu	írù
			uncertain	will be probably	írù deshou	írù darou
N E G A T I V E	present	indicative	certain	am/are/is not	í-masèn ínà-i desu(*)	ínà-i
			uncertain	am/are/is not probably	ínà-i deshou	ínà-i darou
		subjunctive		would not be
		intent		let's not be	í-masu mài	íru mài
		imperative		Don't be	ínà-i de kudasai	írù na
	past	indicative	certain	was/were not	í-masèn deshita ínà-katta desu(*)	ínà-katta
			uncertain	was/were not probably	ínà-katta deshou	ínà-katta darou
		subjunctive		would not have been
	future	indicative	certain	will not be	í-masèn ínà-i desu(*)	ínà-i
			uncertain	will not be probably	ínà-i deshou	ínà-i darou

• (*) colloquial variants ( not used in formal conversations )