ある

aru

be

Godan verb, group 1, ending -ru.

  • ない, not あらない

    The negative of ある is ない (なかった in the past). ある takes no -te iru, and has no potential, passive, or causative.

  • No potential

    ある already says an ability or a state: it has no potential form.

  • Not to be confused with いる

    いる is for living things that move (猫がいる); ある, for things and plants (本がある).

Newbie

The polite forms to talk about now, the future, and the past, and the te-form of requests.

  1. Polite present · -masu

    What you do, usually or soon, said politely. Japanese has one form for the present and the future.

    1. affirmativeありますarimasu
    2. negativeありませんarimasen

  2. Polite past · -mashita

    What you did, or did not do, said politely.

    1. affirmativeありましたarimashita
    2. negativeありませんでしたarimasen deshita

  3. Te-form

    Links actions (and then…), and with ください asks politely.

    1. あってatte
BeginnerThe plain forms of everyday speech, what is going on, what you can do, conditions, and the passive.Plain present · dictionary form · Plain past · -ta · If, when · -taraAlso show the Beginner forms (3)

  1. Plain present · dictionary form

    Between friends and family, and before a noun or many phrases. It also says the future.

    1. affirmativeあるaru
    2. negativeないnai

  2. Plain past · -ta

    The past between friends and family, and before a noun.

    1. affirmativeあったatta
    2. negativeなかったnakatta

  3. If, when · -tara

    If or once something happens, and what you found when it did.

    1. あったらattara
IntermediateIntentions, orders, conditions, making someone do something, and the verbs of respect and modesty.Condition · -baAlso show the Intermediate forms (1)

  1. Condition · -ba

    If…: the condition for what follows. In the negative, it also says what you must do: 〜なければならない.

    1. affirmativeあればareba
    2. negativeなければnakereba