Both ある and いる mean "to exist" or "to be (somewhere)", but Japanese splits them by whether the thing is alive and moving or not.
Tap a card to highlight its examples below.
Examples
| Japanese | English | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 机の上に本がある。 | There's a book on the desk. | Book = inanimate object |
| 庭に木がある。 | There's a tree in the garden. | Plant = inanimate (fixed in place) |
| 部屋に猫がいる。 | There's a cat in the room. | Cat = animate animal |
| 兄がいる。 | I have an older brother. | Person = animate |
| 仕事がある。 | I have work / there is work. | Abstract concept = ある |
| 明日授業がある。 | There's class tomorrow. | Event = ある |
More examples in context
ある objects & places
冷蔵庫に卵がある。There are eggs in the fridge.
駅の近くにコンビニがある。There's a convenience store near the station.
庭に桜の木がある。There's a cherry blossom tree in the garden.
ある events & abstracts
今日テストがある。There's a test today.
時間があるから、行けます。I have time, so I can go.
用事があって行けない。I have errands, so I can't go.
いる people
子供が二人いる。I have two children.
田中先生は教室にいる。Tanaka-sensei is in the classroom.
トイレに誰かいる？Is someone in the bathroom?
いる animals
池に鴨がいる。There are ducks in the pond.
家に犬が三匹いる。We have three dogs at home.
庭に虫がいる！There are bugs in the garden!
Edge cases
- 🐟Fish in a tank vs. on a plate: A live fish uses いる (animate). A fish dish on the menu uses ある (thing/object).
- 🤖Robots / dolls / statues: Generally ある (not alive), but children may say いる for a beloved toy. Context and speaker intent matter.
- 🌿Plants and trees: Always ある, even though they're living organisms they can't move on their own.
Possession with ある and いる
Both are used for "I have ___" it depends on what you have:
お金がある。
I have money. (inanimate)
妹がいる。
I have a little sister. (animate)
Sort it out
Choose ある or いる for each item. Edge cases marked ⚠️.
牛
cow
岩
rock
木
tree
豚
pig
きのこ
mushroom
羊
sheep
池
pond
鶏
chicken
Simple rule: Can it walk or swim on its own? → いる. Can't move by itself? → ある. When in doubt, ある is the safer default for things it's only wrong for people and animals.