～ている - Progressive Aspect or Continuous State

Explanation

This grammar point is used to indicate that an action is currently in progress or that a state is continuing.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb te-form + いる	Verb te-form + いる	Indicates that an action is currently in progress, similar to "is/are doing" in English.

Deep Dive

The basic usage of 「～ている」 involves conjugating a verb into its te-form and attaching 「いる」. This structure is used to express that an action is ongoing. For example:

• 彼かれは今いまテレビテレビを見みています。
• Kare wa ima terebi o miteimasu.
• He is watching TV right now.
  

• 私わたしは本ほんを読よんでいます。
• Watashi wa hon o yondeimasu.
• I am reading a book.
  

Negative Form

The negative form is 「～ていない」, which indicates that the action is not currently happening. For example:

• 彼かれは今いまテレビテレビを見みていません。
• Kare wa ima terebi o miteimasen.
• He is not watching TV right now.
  

• 私わたしは本ほんを読よんでいません。
• Watashi wa hon o yondeimasen.
• I am not reading a book.
  

Past Progressive

The past progressive form is created by changing 「いる」 to its past form 「いた」, indicating that an action was in progress at a specific time in the past. For example:

• 昨日きのうの夜よる、彼かれはテレビテレビを見みていました。
• Kinou no yoru, kare wa terebi o miteimashita.
• He was watching TV last night.
  

• 昨日きのうの夜よる、私わたしは本ほんを読よんでいました。
• Kinou no yoru, watashi wa hon o yondeimashita.
• I was reading a book last night.
  

Examples

• 公園こうえんで子供こどもたちが走はしっています。
• Kouen de kodomotachi wa hashitteimasu.
• The children are running in the park.
  

• 朝あさからずっと雨あめが降ふっています。
• Asa kara zutto ame ga futteimasu.
• It has been raining since morning.
  

Summary

「～ている」 is a commonly used grammatical structure in Japanese to indicate that an action is in progress. It not only clearly expresses the continuous state of an action but also helps learners better understand subtle nuances in Japanese through comparison with other grammar points. By applying this structure in everyday conversations, learners can become more proficient in using it.

～ている - Indicating Completion of an Action or Continuation of a State

Explanation

Indicates that something "has already been done." It is used to express the completion of an action or the continuation of a state.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
Verb て-form + ている	Verb て-form + いる	Used to indicate the completion of an action or the continuation of a state.

Deep Dive

～ている is a very common grammatical structure in Japanese, used to indicate that an action has been completed or that a state is continuing. This expression is not limited to describing ongoing actions but can also be used to indicate that a certain state has been maintained for a period of time.

Ongoing Actions

Used to describe actions that are currently in progress. For example:

• 彼かれは本ほんを読よんでいる。
• Kare wa hon o yondeiru.
• He is reading a book.

Examples

• 彼かれは走はしっている。
• Kare wa hashitteiru.
• He is running.
  

• 彼かれは結婚けっこんしている。
• Kare wa kekkon shiteiru.
• He is married.
  

Summary

～ている is an important and frequently used grammatical structure in Japanese. It is not only used to describe ongoing actions but also to indicate the continuation of a state or the result of an action. Understanding and mastering ～ている is crucial for grasping Japanese expressions effectively.