Iru — To Be, Exist

Honorific (respectful): いらっしゃる (irassharu) / いらっしゃいます (irasshaimasu) — used when talking about someone of higher status. Example: 先生はいらっしゃいます (Sensei wa irasshaimasu — The teacher is here [respectful]).

Humble (modest): おります (orimasu) — a more formal/modest version of います. Often used in business or formal speech. Example: わたしはここにおります (Watashi wa koko ni orimasu — I am here [humble/formal]).

います (imasu) = "ee-mah-soo" (stress on first syllable)

いました (imashita) = "ee-mah-shee-tah" (stress on first syllable)

いる (iru) = "ee-roo" (short, like "ee" + "roo")

いた (ita) = "ee-tah" (short)

いない (inai) = "ee-nai" (rhymes with "bye" + "eye")

Japanese has two "to be" verbs: いる (iru) for animate things (people, animals) and ある (aru) for inanimate things (objects, places). This distinction is crucial. "猫がいる" (neko ga iru — there is a cat) vs. "ペンがある" (pen ga aru — there is a pen).

The te-form combination 〜ている (te iru) is used to show continuous/ongoing actions or habitual states. Example: "今、勉強しています" (ima, benkyou shite imasu — I am studying now). This is one of the most common patterns in Japanese conversation.

Use います (imasu) in formal situations, with strangers, or in professional contexts. Use いる (iru) with friends, family, or in casual speech. This polite/casual distinction affects all your Japanese speech, not just this verb.

With いる, you'll often see both particles: 私は学校にいます (watashi wa gakkou ni imasu — as for me, I am at school) and 誰がいますか (dare ga imasu ka — who is there?). The particle choice changes the nuance; は emphasizes the subject, while が emphasizes the existence/presence.

The negative form いない (inai) is treated as an い-adjective, not a verb. So when conjugating further: いなかった (inakatta — was not), いなくて (inakute — not being). This is a quirk of Japanese grammar to watch for.