JLPT N5 Grammar
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Ongoing action / habitual state
Category: Te-form Patterns
The grammar pattern 〜ている is used to express an ongoing action or habitual state. It attaches to the te-form of a verb and is often shortened to 〜てる in casual speech. This pattern is commonly used to describe actions that are currently happening or have been happening regularly. For example, "田中さんは今、本を読んでいます。" translates to "Mr. Tanaka is currently reading a book." The nuance of this pattern is to convey a sense of continuity or regularity in the action.
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Te-form of the verb | Verb te-form + いる | 読む (to read) te-form: 読んで, いる: いる |
| Te-form of the verb with a negative prefix | Verb te-form with negative prefix + いる | 食べない (not to eat) te-form: 食べないで, いる: いる |
| Te-form of the verb with a polite prefix | Verb te-form with polite prefix + います | 食べる (to eat) te-form: 食べて, います: います |
田中さんは今、本を読んでいます。
Tanaka-san wa ima, hon o yonde imasu.
Mr. Tanaka is currently reading a book.
田中さんは (Mr. Tanaka), 今 (now), 本を (a book), 読んで (reading), います (is)
毎日コーヒーを飲んでいます。
Mainichi kōhī o nomimashite imasu.
I drink coffee every day.
毎日 (every day), コーヒーを (coffee), 飲んで (drinking), います (is)
「まだ食べている？」「うん、まだ食べる。」
「mada tabete iru？」「un, mada taberu。」
"Are you still eating?" "Yes, I'm still eating."
まだ (still), 食べている (eating), ？ (question mark), うん (yes), まだ (still), 食べる (eating)
彼女は毎日運動をしていて、健康に気をつけています。
Kare wa mainichi undō o shite iru node, kenkō ni ki o tsukete imasu.
She exercises every day and takes care of her health.
彼女は (she), 毎日 (every day), 運動を (exercise), して (doing), いて (is), 健康に (health), 気をつけて (taking care of), います (is)
彼は毎日新聞を読んでいます。
Kare wa mainichi shinbun o yonde imasu.
He reads the newspaper every day.
彼は (he), 毎日 (every day), 新聞を (newspaper), 読んで (reading), います (is)
The grammar pattern 〜ている is used to express an ongoing action or habitual state. It is commonly used in casual speech and is often shortened to 〜てる. This pattern is used to describe actions that are currently happening or have been happening regularly. It can also be used to describe a state of being or a condition. For example, "彼女は毎日運動をしていて、健康に気をつけています。" translates to "She exercises every day and takes care of her health."
The te-form of the verb is used to express an ongoing action or habitual state, whereas the dictionary form is used to express a completed action. For example, "食べる (to eat) te-form: 食べて, いる: いる"
〜ている is used to express an ongoing action or habitual state, whereas 〜てある is used to express a resultant state. For example, "本を読んでいます。" (reading a book) vs. "本を読んでいます。 (the book has been read)
The te-form of the verb with a negative prefix is used to express an ongoing action or habitual state, whereas the dictionary form with a negative prefix is used to express a completed action. For example, "食べない (not to eat) te-form: 食べないで, いる: いる"
When using the grammar pattern 〜ている in the JLPT exam, make sure to use the te-form of the verb before いる. Also, be careful not to confuse 〜ている with 〜てある. Practice using this pattern in different contexts to improve your understanding and application.
田中さんは今、本を______。
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