Let's think about the difference between "arimasu" and "imasu"! / Japanese Learning Support LLC
What is the difference between "arimasu" and "imasu"?
Today, let's try using "arimasu" and "imasu" to ask and answer about where buildings and people are!
Now, what would you say in a situation like this?
You want to go to the toilet at the station, but you don't know where it is. Ask someone.
I agree.
"Excuse me. Where is the bathroom?"
You might hear it like this:
When answering,
"It's on the second floor."
It would be good to answer like that.
So, is it okay to say, "Where is the toilet?"
Today, let's take a look at the difference between "arimasu" and "imasu"!
Today's Menu
1. "Arimasu" means something that has no life or will.
2. "Imasu" refers to people or animals that have life and will.
"Arimasu" is a verb meaning to exist, and is used in reference to things that have no life or will.
Sample1 There is a computer on the desk.
Sample2 Go straight from here and turn right at the first corner and you will find the post office.
Sample3: I haven't been able to go on a trip lately because I don't have any money.
Sample4 There's still some time before the movie starts, so let's have some tea at a cafe.
Sample5 Do you have experience in sales?
In this way, "arimasu" is used in relation to things like "computer" and "post office."
It can also be used to describe things that cannot be seen, such as "time" and "experience."
"imasu" is also a verb that means to exist. It is used for animals and people that have life and will.
Sample1 There is a cat behind you, so be careful not to step on it.
Sample 2 There are two dogs at home.
Sample3: I think Tanaka-san is in the conference room on the second floor.
Sample 4: Do you have any siblings, Yamada-san?
"Imasu" is used for things that have life and will, such as humans and animals.
Therefore, the first question, "Where is the toilet?" is incorrect .
For things that have no life or will, like a toilet, we use "arimasu."
So what about robots?
In reality, robots are not living things, so we would use "arimasu" (there is).
Is it not possible to use "imasu"?
For example, an industrial robot that makes products in a factory always moves in the same way and does not look like a living thing, so it would be more natural to use "arimasu" (to mean "there is").
There is an industrial robot.
It's something like that.
So what about a dog-like robot, or a humanoid robot that can talk?
AI allows robots to express their opinions and emotions, making them appear more like living creatures.
In that case, it's okay to use "imasu."
・I was guided by a humanoid robot at the hotel reception.
It can also be used in situations like these.
・(In front of the station) Are there any taxis?
・Let's run! The Shinkansen is still there!!
As you can see, there are situations where you can use "imasu" not only with robots but also with vehicles.
If you ask, "Is there a taxi?" a native Japanese speaker will probably imagine a parked car.
However, if you ask "Do you need a taxi?" you can convey the nuance that you are on the move and are about to move at any moment.
In slightly more technical terms, it's animacy.
In any case, Japanese is a language that pays close attention to details such as whether something is alive, non-alive, or appears to be alive.
Now, let's solve one more question here.
Some of you may have thought, "Huh?" when you saw the first example sentence, "Where is the toilet?"
If you want to ask where the restroom is, wouldn't it be okay to say, "Where is the restroom?"
That's right! "Doko desu ka?" has the same meaning here.
However, there are situations where "Doko ni arimasu desu ka?" and "Doko desu ka?" are used slightly differently, so be careful.
①A: Where is the post office?
B: It's behind the convenience store over there.
②A: Where is the post office?
B: It's behind that convenience store over there.
In this case, they have the same meaning, so it doesn't matter which one you use.
So, what about these two?
①A: Where is the capital of Japan?
B: The Kanto region. It's north of Kanagawa Prefecture.
②A: What is the capital of Japan?
Man B: Tokyo.
This time, Mr. B's responses in ① and ② are completely different.
In this way, "Where do you want to know the name of the place?" can also be taken to mean that you want to know the name of the place.
On the other hand, "Where is it?" only means that you want to know the location of where it is, and there is no nuance of wanting to know the name of the place.
Today we talked about the difference between "arimasu" and "imasu."
Now you can ask where the restroom or bus stop is, or find other people.
Even commonly used grammar that appears at the beginner level can actually have unexpected uses, and there are also grammar expressions that are similar but have different meanings.
The JLS blog posts useful information for Japanese language learners every day, so please take a look at our other articles.
That's all for today!
See you in the next blog.
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