Ongoing actions and resulting states with 〜ている
Grammar: Time and Sequence » 〜ている
〜ている combines a verb’s て-form with いる. It can describe an action in progress, a state left by a change, or a habit or repeated action.
English “be doing” covers only the first meaning. The verb and context determine the translation: 「読んでいる」 means “is reading”, 「窓が開いている」 means “the window is open”, and 「東京に住んでいる」 means “lives in Tokyo”.
Usage Notes
Add いる to the て-form of a verb. If the て-form ends in で, the result is 〜でいる: 読む → 読んでいる.
With an activity such as 読む or 走る, 〜ている says that the activity is underway. With a change such as 開く, 結婚する, or 死ぬ, it may describe the state after the change. Time expressions such as 今, 毎日, and もう often make the intended meaning clear.
Speakers drop the い in casual conversation: 〜ている → 〜てる and 〜でいる → 〜でる.
Always write this use of いる in kana.
Formation
- Verb (て-form) ＋ いる
- 妹はマンガを読んでいる
- "My sister is reading manga."
- 〜ています (polite)
- 父は銀行で働いています
- "My father works at a bank."
- 〜ていた (past)
- 電話が来たとき、寝ていた
- "I was sleeping when the call came."
- 〜ていない・〜ていません (negative)
- まだ昼ご飯を食べていない
- "I haven't eaten lunch yet."
- Note: With まだ, the negative often means that an expected action has not happened yet.
- 〜ている → 〜てる (casual contraction)
- 何見てるの？
- "What are you looking at?"
- 〜でいる → 〜でる (casual contraction)
- 今、マンガを読んでる
- "I'm reading manga now."
Choosing the Meaning
The kind of verb is usually the best clue.
| Verb type | Example | Usual reading |
|---|---|---|
| Activity | 走っている | is running |
| Change | 窓が開いている | the window is open |
| Repeated action | 毎日走っている | runs every day |
| Continuing situation | 東京に住んでいる | lives in Tokyo |
Context can change the reading. 「パンを焼いている」 describes someone in the middle of baking bread. 「パンが焼けている」 says that the bread is baked.
An Action in Progress
Activity verbs use 〜ている for something happening at the time being discussed. Satsuki is left to watch Sara for the day. As the afternoon arrives, Satsuki discovers their lunch had already been prepared and placed the refrigerator, with a note saying to heat it and eat it.
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Satsuki says レンチンしてる while the food is heating. The contracted してる expands to している. After an enemy attack changes Usagi and Mamoru into kids, Usagi wakes to find the two of them living together as a couple. As Usagi wanders into the dining room, Mamoru is placing a plate of french toast on the table. He greets her and asks Usagi what type of jam she wants on her toast. Usagi responds, then realizes she needs to get to school.
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食べてる is the casual form of 食べている. Eating would take time, and Usagi says she has none to spare. After Chino shows Cocoa to the changing room, Chino goes to get Cocoa’s uniform. Left alone, Cocoa gets a feeling otherwise.
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見られている combines the receptive form 見られる with 〜ている. Cocoa feels that is being watched by someone at that moment.
A Resulting State
Some verbs describe a change with a clear endpoint. With these verbs, 〜ている often describes the state afterward:
- 結婚している: is married
- ドアが閉まっている: the door is closed
- その人を知っている: knows that person
知る means to learn or come to know. 知っている describes the state after gaining that knowledge, so it translates as “know”. Komura sees Mie pick up an item she dropped and he wonders if it’s an earring. During class later, Mie shows Komura the item held up to her ear calling it a 「ピアス」. She then reveals it’s just a bead.
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ピアス開けてない is casual ピアスを開けていない. Mie is saying that her ears are not pierced. Mina buys a can of coffee, even though she’s bad at bitter drinks. When her friends question her, she says she’s grown up a bit and should be able to drink it.
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Here, 成長してる means “I’ve grown” or “I’ve developed”, not “I’m growing right now”. Coco and her friends are trapped in a maze and trying to find a way past a dragon. Seeing the others working out magic to use, Coco tries her hand at a spell, creating a flame. Agott isn’t impressed, but Tetia feels otherwise.
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安定してる describes the flame when Tetia sees it. It is burning steadily.
Habits and Repeated Actions
A frequency phrase such as 毎朝 “every morning” can make 〜ている describe a habit. English usually uses the simple present for this meaning. Rize tells Cocoa a bit about fortune telling with coffee.
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頼まれたらやってる says that Rize does fortune-telling whenever someone asks. The conditional 頼まれたら makes the repeated occasion clear. Sacchan tries crawling on the ground to help find the cat that’s been stealing from the area lately. Kotoha takes this opportunity to step on Sacchan’s head.
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ゲームばっかりやってる describes Kotoha’s habit of playing video games. ばっかり suggests that she spends her time doing little else. Due to concern about his sister’s ribbon, which seals away her need to attack people for their blood, Kenji takes every opportunity he can to check up on her in at school.
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言ってる means “I keep telling you” here. Kenji visits every break, so Kyoko has to repeat the warning.
Continuing Situations
Verbs such as 住む “live”, 勤める “work for”, and 通う “attend” use 〜ている for a situation that continues over time. Sami and her father go to the park to play. There, they see Sami’s teacher. The teacher is surprised to see Sami’s rambunctious behavior, as it’s different from the Sami she sees at school.
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猫かぶってる says that Sami keeps up an innocent act at school. Her father is talking about her usual behavior there. Conan returns home from school to the sound of a music box. When he opens the door, he finds Kogoro and Ran with a client.
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預かってる says that the Mouri household is looking after Conan. They are still caring for him when Kogoro explains who he is. Takeru and Ayumu talk about now being in high school.
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しようと思ってる uses casual 思っている for a current intention. Ayumu still plans to deliver milk.
Plain Form or 〜ている?
The plain nonpast form presents an action as a whole and can refer to a future or recurring event. 〜ている describes an action already underway or a state that already holds.
| Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|
| 今から本を読む。 | I’ll read the book now. |
| 今、本を読んでいる。 | I’m reading the book now. |
| 毎週この雑誌を読む。 | I read this magazine every week. |
| 最近、この雑誌を読んでいる。 | I’ve been reading this magazine these days. |
Related Grammar
- Connecting actions with 〜て・〜で
- ている begins with the verb's て-form.
- How casual contractions work
- Covers the common 〜ている → 〜てる sound change.
- Timing of an action with 〜ところだ
- 〜ているところだ focuses on an action in progress at that moment.
- Past tense with 〜た・〜だ
- A completed change and its present result can call for different forms.
Supplemental Examples
