What's the Difference Between ある (aru) and いる (iru)?

What's the Difference Between ある (aru) and いる (iru)?

If you're learning Japanese grammar, you've probably come across the verbs ある (aru) and いる (iru). Both mean “to be” or “to exist”, but they’re used differently depending on what you’re talking about. Here’s a simple comparison table to help.

Verb Used For Examples
ある
aru
Inanimate:
- Objects
- Locations
- Events
- Plants
- Ideas

部屋へやゴジラポスターがある。 There is a poster of Godzilla in the room

明日あした試験しけんがある。 There's a test tomorrow

いる
iru
Animate:
- People
- Animals
- Anything moving
- Ghosts / aliens / imaginary beings

部屋へやねこがいる。 There’s a cat in the room


友達ともだちがいる。 I have a friend


うみゴジラがいる!。 Godzilla is in the ocean!

A note on meaning: not “there is”, but “exists”

In English, we translate ある and いる as “there is” or “there are”, but that’s not how Japanese people actually perceive these verbs.

When someone says: 部屋へやねこがいる。
They are not thinking: “There is a cat in the room” like we do in English.
They are thinking: “A cat exists in the room.”

In Japanese, the focus is on the existence of the thing or being, not on whether it’s “there” or “over there”. That’s why ある / いる are called existential verbs in grammar terms. You’re literally stating that something exists in a certain place, not pointing it out.

This is subtle, but it affects how sentences are built and understood. It’s why Japanese often starts with the location (like 部屋へやに) and ends with what exists.

Conjugation of both verbs

Present いる ある
Negative いない ない
Present (Polite) います あります
Negative (Polite) いません ありません
Past いた あった
Past Negative いなかった なかった
Past (Polite) いました ありました
Past Negative (Polite) いませんでした ありませんでした

What does “anything moving” mean?

In Japanese, いる is not just for humans and animals. It’s also used for any being that moves with intention or has some form of presence. This includes:

  • Insects like むし (bugs), あり (ants), はち (bees)
  • Fish and reptiles like さかな, 蜥蜴とかげ (lizard), へび (snake)
  • Fictional or spiritual beings like 幽霊ゆうれい (ghosts), かみ (gods), 宇宙人うちゅうじん (aliens)
  • Robots or AI in stories, if they act alive or have personality

If it seems alive, behaves with intent, or has a will, いる is usually the right verb.

Therefore, you can sometimes find a moving inanimate thing suddenly being used with いる.

  • くるまている。 The car is coming / arriving.


    Even though a car is inanimate, if it's moving (especially with people inside), いる is natural because the movement implies presence and intent.
  • かぜもりなかはしっている。 The wind is running through the forest.


    In literature, nature or elements can be personified. Here, the wind is described with いる to give it life, movement, and emotion.

Quick summary

  • ある is for non-moving things, places, ideas, events, and plants
  • いる is for moving things like people, animals, and anything animate
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