Speakable Japanese

How to Say "There is" in Japanese: People & Animals (Imasu)

Hello! In the previous lesson, we learned to use the expression "あります" (arimasu) for objects and plants. In this lesson, we will breathe life into your world.
You will learn to talk about the presence of people and animals—those that move of their own will. Distinguishing between these two verbs is a big step toward mastering the Japanese language!

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to confidently talk about the presence of people and animals using the chunk 「[Location]に 〇〇がいます」 ([Location] ni 〇〇 ga imasu)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how this is used in a real conversation. Two friends are at the park.

👩
Maria

あそこに 犬が います ね。

(Asoko ni inu ga imasu ne. - There is a dog over there, isn't there?)

👨
Satoshi

はい。あ、ベンチに 先生も います よ。

(Hai. A, benchi ni sensei mo imasu yo. - Yes. Ah, there is also a teacher on the bench.)

💡

Did you notice?

Both the dog (animal) and the teacher (person) use "います" (imasu). In Japanese, words for existence differ depending on whether the subject has "life" and "will."

Step 2 The Pattern

Here is the standard formula for expressing that someone or some animal is at a location.

Basic Chunk

に が います。

( ni ga imasu.)

🔑 Key Point: "Arimasu" vs "Imasu"

あります (arimasu): Used for inanimate objects, plants, and anything that does not move of its own will. (e.g., 木 - tree)
います (imasu): Used for people, animals, and anything that moves of its own will. (e.g., 犬 - dog)

🌟 Particle "に (ni)" & "が (ga)"

The particle に (ni) points to the location where the subject exists, while が (ga) marks the person or animal that is actually there.

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Listen and repeat! Let's swap the locations and subjects to build new sentences.

  • Location & Animal Over there / Cat (neko)

    あそこに 猫 が います。

    (Asoko ni neko ga imasu.)

  • Location & People This park / Child (kodomo)

    この公園に 子ども が います。

    (Kono kouen ni kodomo ga imasu.)

  • Location & Specific Person My room / Friend (tomodachi)

    私の部屋に 友達 が います。

    (Watashi no heya ni tomodachi ga imasu.)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

This is the most important step! Create your own original sentences about the people and animals that are around you or in your imagination right now.

👉 LOCATION に PERSON / ANIMAL がいます。

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Places (場所)

  • 部屋 heya (room)
  • 家 ie / uchi (house)
  • 公園 kouen (park)
  • 教室 kyoushitsu (classroom)

People (人)

  • 子ども kodomo (child)
  • 大人 otona (adult)
  • 先生 sensei (teacher)
  • 家族 kazoku (family)

Animals (動物)

  • 犬 inu (dog)
  • 猫 neko (cat)
  • 鳥 tori (bird)
  • 魚 sakana (fish)

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

In real life, you'll also need to say "There is NO someone/animal" and speak casually with friends. Here’s a quick guide to leveling up your "imasu" skills!

🙅‍♀️ 1. There is NOT... (Negative)

Basic / Formal

猫が いません。

(Neko ga imasen.)

Casual (Friends)

猫が いない。

(Neko ga inai.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual (There is)

Casual Verb Form

犬が いる。

(Inu ga iru.)

With friendly emphasis

犬が いるよ。

(Inu ga iru yo.)

Summary Lesson Review

Living Things: Use 〜がいます (~ ga imasu) for people, animals, and things that move of their own will.

Imasu vs Arimasu: います (imasu) is exclusively for living things, while あります (arimasu) is for inanimate objects and plants.

Negative Form: Use いません (imasen) or the casual いない (inai) to say someone or an animal is not there.

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

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