ている

ている Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Auxiliary Verb (Group 2)

Essential Meaning: ~ing (an action continues) / X continues to be in some state brought about by a prior action

Construction: 

• Verb て-Form + いる
  • E.g. 話はなしている [X is speaking]
  • E.g. 食たべている [X is eating]
  • E.g. 腐くさっている [X is rotten]

Notes:

• ている is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to the English progressive tense (e.g. “Playing“, “Writing“, “Pooping“). This is a common misconception.

• When ている is paired with a durative verb that can continue or can be repeated, it expresses continuing action or a habitual action. Verbs such as 住すんでいる [Living] and 思おもっている [Thinking] fall into this category.
  • E.g. Continuing Action: ジョンは酒さけを飲のんでいる。[John is drinking sake.]
  • E.g. Habitual Action: 私わたしは毎日まいにち4マイル走はしっている。[I run 4 miles every day.]
  • E.g. Continuing State: 私わたしは宮崎みやざきに住すんでいます。[I live in Miyazaki (i.e. I am in a continuing state of living in Miyazaki).]
  • E.g. Continuing State: ジョンは日本語にほんごはやさしいと思おもっている。[John thinks that Japanese is easy (i.e. John is in a continuing state of thinking that Japanese is easy).]

• However, when ている is paired with a momentary verb (i.e. one that cannot continue over time) or a verb that cannot be repeated, ている represents the idea that some action occurred, and now the subject remains in that state. This is a crucial concept that most textbooks gloss over. Motion verbs such as 行いく [To go], 来くる [To come], and 帰かえる [To return] fall into this category, as well as 知しる [To know].
  • E.g. このリンゴは腐くさっている。[This apple is rotten (i.e. the apple rotted, and it remains in that state).] The verb 腐くさる [To rot] can not be repeated; once the apple is rotten, it’s rotten.
  • E.g. 木きが倒たおれている。[The tree has fallen over (i.e. the tree fell over, and it remains in that state).] The falling of the tree is presumably a momentary action, and after the tree falls it remains in that state.
  • E.g. 私わたしは鈴木すずきさんを知しっています。[I know Ms. Suzuki (i.e. I got to know Ms. Suzuki, and I remain in a state of knowing her).] 知しっている indicates the continuing state of knowing after getting to know, rather than the continuing action of getting to know.
  • E.g. マークはアメリカに行いっている。[Mark is in America (i.e. Mark went to America and is still in that state).]
  • E.g. ジョンはもう家いえに帰かえっています。 [John already went home (i.e. John went home, and he remains in that state).]

Example Sentences:

佐々木ささきさんは酒さけを飲のんでいる。[Sasaki-san is drinking sake.]

和江かずえは新聞しんぶんを読よんでいる。[Kazue is reading a newspaper.]

このリンゴは腐くさっている。[This apple is rotten.]

木きが倒たおれている。[This tree has fallen.]

私わたしは鈴木すずきさんを知しっています。[I know Ms. Suzuki.]

WILD Examples:

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