Introduction
In Japanese, you can use -te aru to describe something that has been intentionally prepared or set up by someone, even if you don’t mention who did it. This form is helpful when talking about things that are arranged or done on purpose and remain that way. In this post, we’ll go over how to use -te aru, when to use it, and examples to help you understand this grammar point.
What It Means
-te aru (てある) combines the te-form of a verb with the helping verb aru (ある) to indicate that something was done on purpose and remains in that state. It suggests that someone prepared or set up something intentionally, and we can still see the results.
For example:
- パンが買ってあります (Pan ga katte arimasu) – Bread has been bought (and is ready).
- This suggests that the bread was bought on purpose and is still available now.
When to Use It
Use -te aru when:
- You want to talk about a situation that was set up intentionally by someone.
- You want to describe something that has been prepared in advance, with the effects still visible.
This form is often used when talking about preparations or arrangements made for a purpose.
Examples
Here are some examples to help you understand how -te aru works in sentences.
- 寒いので、ヒーターがつけてあります (Samui node, hiitaa ga tsukete arimasu)
The heater is on, because it is cold.- Verb: つける (tsukeru) – “to turn on”
- Here, つけてあります (tsukete arimasu) means the heater was turned on intentionally and remains on.
- テーブルの上に花が置いてあります (Teeburu no ue ni hana ga oite arimasu)
Flowers are on the table.- Verb: 置く (oku) – “to place”
- 置いてあります (oite arimasu) indicates that someone placed the flowers on purpose, and they are still there.
- レストランの予約がしてあります (Resutoran no yoyaku ga shite arimasu)
A restaurant reservation has been made.- Verb: する (suru) – “to do”
- してあります (shite arimasu) shows that a reservation was made in advance, and it’s still valid.
- パンが買ってあります (Pan ga katte arimasu)
Bread has been bought (and is ready).- Verb: 買う (kau) – “to buy”
- 買ってあります (katte arimasu) means that bread was bought earlier and is available now for use.
Notes
- Particle が: In -te aru sentences, the particle が (ga) is used with the noun that received the action. Normally, this noun would be marked with を (wo), but with -te aru, it becomes が.
- Using Transitive Verbs: -te aru usually goes with transitive verbs, which are actions done to something. For example:
- 窓が閉めてあります (Mado ga shimete arimasu) – The window has been kept closed.
- Verb: 閉める (shimeru) – “to close” (transitive verb)
- Difference Between -te aru and -te iru: -te aru focuses on intentional actions with a lasting result, while -te iru describes a current state without necessarily implying intention.
- 窓が閉めてあります (Mado ga shimete arimasu) – The window has been kept closed (someone closed it and left it that way).
- 窓が閉まっています (Mado ga shimatte imasu) – The window is closed (but it doesn’t imply someone closed it).
Conclusion
The -te aru form is a useful way to talk about things that were intentionally prepared or set up, with the effects still visible. This structure is especially helpful when describing preparations or arrangements that are still in place. By mastering -te aru, you’ll be able to talk about situations that were set up for a purpose in Japanese.
Recommended Resources
For a deeper understanding of -tearu, I recommend A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. This book explains the concept under the entry -aru, providing detailed information on how to describe intentional actions that have lasting effects. If you’re interested in exploring this grammar point further and seeing more examples, this book is an excellent resource to expand your knowledge of Japanese language structure.
