there is / there are (existence)

Imasu is used for people and animals, arimasu for inanimate things and plants. The thing that exists is marked with ga, and the location with ni. The basic pattern is [place] ni [thing] ga arimasu / imasu.

Examples

• 公園こうえんに子供こどもがいます。

  Kouen ni kodomo ga imasu.

  There are children in the park.

• 部屋へやにテレビがあります。

  Heya ni terebi ga arimasu.

  There is a TV in the room.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 公園 park
• 子供 child
• いる to exist (animate); to be
• 部屋 room
• テレビ television
• ある to exist (inanimate); to have

Related patterns · Existence and location

• 〜があります / います（所有） to have (possession)
• 〜の上 / 下 / 中 / 前 / 後ろ / 隣に position words: on, under, inside, in front of, behind, next to