第43課: The Progressive/CONTINUED STATE: ～ている
When used with the particle て, いる functions as a supplementary verb. In Japanese a supplementary verb is a verb that loses some or all of its literal connotations to serve (a) specific grammatical purpose(s). Although it retains some resemblance to its basic meaning of indicating state, ～ている should be treated separately from いる.
～ている is most known for its role in making the “progressive tense,” but it is also known for having several interrelated nuances which can cause great difficulty for learners to distinguish in context and execute in practice.
Conjugation Summary: ～ている conjugates normally with Ichidan conjugations.
| Plain Speech | Polite Speech | |
| Non-Past | ～ている | ～ています |
| Past | ～ていた | ～ていました |
| Negative | ～ていない | ～ていません ～ていないです |
| Negative Past | ～ていなかった | ～ていませんでした ～ていなかったです |
Translation Note: The meaning of ～ている is dependent on the semantic nature of the verb it is used with; therefore, single-word translations for its conjugations are not reliable. Over the course of this lesson, take note of how examples are translated to get a feel for how to translate them.
～ている
Correctly interpreting ～ている depends on what kind of verb is being used with it. “Kind” here does not refer to how the verb conjugates, but rather what it means semantically and its relation to verbs of similar meaning.
-ing
The main usage of ～ている is to indicate the progressive tense, also known as the “-ing form” in English. The agent of the verb is doing something, which itself is an ongoing state in the present time. Likewise, the progressive tense can also indicate events that are happening without a willful agent. This divide usually manifests as the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs respectively. In either case, the verb ought to one that takes time to occur.
1. 太朗は朝ご飯を食べています。
Taro is eating breakfast.
2. まだ食べていませんよ。
I haven’t eaten (it) yet.
3. お風呂はもう沸いていますか。
Is the bath hot yet?
4. 今日も穏やかなお天気が続いていますね。
The moderate weather is continuing into today, huh?
5. 明治大学で法律を勉強しています。
I am studying law at Meiji University.
6. ファイルを編集しています。
I am editing the file.
When used with a time expression showing duration, ～ている may be interpreted as the present progressive perfect tense – “has been…-ing.”
7. かれこれ一時間ずっと同じ作業をやっています。
I’ve been doing the same work for the last hour or so straight.
As for ～ていた, it may correspond to the past progressive tense – “was/were… -ing” – or the past progressive perfect tense – “had been… -ing” depending on context as Japanese lacks separate perfect tense conjugations.
8. 子供は宿題をしていた。
The kid(s) was/were doing homework.
9. 川崎幸太郎は同じ工場で10年ほどチーズケーキを作っていた。
Kotaro Kawasaki had been making cheesecakes at the same factory for around 10 years.
Habit
There are instances when the action marked with ～ている is not literally being done now, but it is, in fact, something the agent habitually does. At times, context will be needed to distinguish something being done now from something being done continuously (as a habit).
10. A学校に通っています。
Meaning 1: I go to School A.
Meaning 2: I am commuting to School A.
11. 天才はいつも勉強に打ち込んでいる。
Geniuses are always diving into studies.
12. 東京はどこへ行っても混んでいる。
Tokyo is crowded wherever you go.
13. 長いことシャワーを浴びてる人って中でいったい何をやっていますか？
So, the people who take long showers, what exactly are they doing in there?
An extension of this meaning is to indicate history of having done something, which may or may not be cyclical.
14. アレックスさんはもう10回も日本に旅行していますよ。
Alex has already traveled to Japan 10 times.
15. 阿部元首相が亡くなってからもう一年経っているんだね。
A year has already past since Former Prime Minister Abe past away, huh.
State of Being
Many verbs in Japanese capture instances, and when ～ている is attached, it denotes the state of being that stands true upon that instance. For instance, when you stand up, the act of standing is marked by 立つ, and so 立っている is not marking the process of standing up but the state of standing up.
16. ネクタイが曲っている。
(My) necktie is crooked.
17. 古着を着ています。
I’m wearing old clothes. 〇
I’m putting on old clothes. X
18. 彼女は長い髪をしている。
She has long hair.
19. 教師をしています。
I am a teacher.
20. 私は東京駅の近くに住んでいます。
I live near Tokyo Station.
21. お母さんによく似ていますね。
You resemble your mother well.
Many such verbs that are interpreted this way are intransitive. Great examples include 開く (to be open), 閉まる (to be closed), 入る (to go/be in), 出る (to go/come out), 壊れる (to be broken), 汚れる (to be dirty), etc. If the intransitive verb indicates a change to the status quo, ～ている indicates the state of being that comes into being upon that change.
22. その橋は石でできている。
The bridge is made of stone.
23. この机は壊れています。
This desk is broken.
24. 砂糖はもう入っています。
Sugar is already in it.
25. 町は谷に位置している。
The town lies in the valley.
26. 山がそびえている。
The mountain towers above (everything).
27. その教科書は初学者に適しています。
The textbook is suitable for beginners.
28. その時計は5分ほど進んでいます。
The clock is five minutes fast.
29. 疲れています。
I’m tired.
～ている may still be interpreted in this way with transitive verbs. In such contexts, the verb is not one that is acted out.
30. 私は車を持っています。
I own a vehicle.
31. この金額は総合保険を含んでいますか。
Does this price include fully comprehensive insurance?
It must be noted that the existential verbs ある and いる cannot be used with ～ている※. Avoiding ～ている with them may involve not using ～ている at all or switching to another verb that expresses a state of being.
32. 今晩空いている部屋はありますか。
Do you have any vacant rooms this evening?
33a. 木になっていたリンゴを集めた。〇
33b. 木にあっていたリンゴを集めた。X
33c. 木にあったリンゴを集めた。??
I gathered the apples that [had ripened/were] on the tree.
Word Note: This なる is 生る, which means “to bear fruit.” What makes 33c unnatural is that it sounds as if the apple is somehow out of place inside a tree.
Similarly, the existential verb 存在する (to exist) is often not natural with ～ている unless context allows for the present progressive tense.
34a. 幽霊は存在する
34b. 幽霊は昔々から存在している。
34a. Ghosts exists.
34b. Ghosts have existed since long ago.
※In some dialects, いる can be used with ～ている, resulting in いてる. This is commonplace in Kansai Dialects, and it is always used in the present progressive perfect tense.
Generally speaking, if the verb in question typically happens in an instant, describing the process in the moment will require other grammar points, and how exactly one goes about this will vary based on the semantic nature of the verb. Notice how in some of the structures demonstrated below that ～ている is often incorporated but clarified so that it can be interpreted as the progressive tense.
35a. お前はもう死んでいる！
35b. お前はもう死にかけている！
35a. You’re already dead!
35b. You’re already dying!
36a. あの赤ちゃんが生まれて初めて両足で立っているよ！
36b. あの赤ちゃんが生まれて初めて両足で立とうとしているよ！
36a. That baby is standing on their feet for the first time in their life!
36b. That baby is attempting to stand on their feet for the first time in their life!
37a. ジャケットを身に着けている。
37b. ジャケットを身に着けているところだ。
38a. I’ve put on a jacket.
39b. I’m putting on a jacket.
40a. 田中は銀行に行っています。
40b. 田中は銀行に行く途中です。
40a. Tanaka has gone to the bank.
40b. Tanaka is on the way to the bank.
41a. 数学が重要になっている。
41b. 数学がだんだん重要になってきている。
41a. Math has become important.
41b. Math is becoming ever more important.
42. 店員さんが飲み物を持ってきている最中だ。
The store employee is in the middle of bring over the drinks.
State: Motion Verbs
For verbs of motion like 行く and 帰る, ～ている typically indicates the state of having already made said transition to the new location and is still there.
43. 彼女は東京に来ています。
She has come to Tokyo.
44. 彼はもう帰っている。
He’s already gone home.
45. 台風８号は小笠原諸島に向かって（きて）います。
Typhoon #8 is headed/heading towards the Ogasawara Islands.
～ていない VS ～ないでいる・ずにいる
The typical negative form of ～ている is ～ていない, which simply indicates that some action/state is not happening. However, you may also see ～ず（に）いる and ～ないでいる. These forms indicate a perpetual state of some state not being able to come into fruition, The difference between ～ないで and ～ず comes down to style, with the latter being more formal and poetic.
46. 覚えていません。
I don’t remember.
47. 僕は何もしていません。(男性語)
I’m not doing anything.
48. 決して病気にならないでいることは不可能だ。
It is impossible to never get sick.
49. 彼はいつも落ち着かないでいる。
He is always not at ease.
Contractions
～ている is usually contracted to ～てる in casual conversation. Even in polite speech, it is commonplace to hear ～てます instead of ～ています. However, in truly polite situations such as being in an interview, it is avoided.
Dialect Note: In other regions of Japan, you will hear ～とる, ～よる, or even ～ちょる instead of ～てる. Sometimes, these different forms are used for different meanings of ～ている, but because this is beyond the realm of Standard Japanese, those differences will be for a future discussion. Incidentally, all of these dialectal involve おる, which in Standard Japanese is the humble form of いる.
50. 今の、聞いてましたか。
Were you listening to what I was saying just now?
51. 父は私が何を勉強してるか知らない。
My dad doesn’t know what I am studying.
52. 動いとる!
It’s moving!
Word Note: 動く is “to move ” as in to physically move about, not “to move to a different house”. That meaning of the English verb “to move” is carried out by the verb 引っ越す.
States & Appearances 状態・様子
In the chart below, several verbs are showcased to give you a better idea of how to interpret ～ている and how it also relates to ～た, which often replaces it when used in the 連体形.
| ～た + Noun | V+ている | V+た |
| 割れた卵 A broken egg. | 卵が割れている。 The egg is broken. | 卵が割れた。 The egg broke. |
| やせた姿の A slim figure | 姿がやせている。 To have a slim figure | 姿がやせた。 Figure got skinny. |
| 太った彼 He, who is fat | 彼は太っている。 He is fat. | 彼は太った。 He got fat. |
| 穴が開いたポケット A pocket with a hole | ポケットに穴が開いている There’s a hole in my pocket | ポケットに穴が開いた。 A hole opened up in the pocket. |
| 歪んだ見方 A distorted viewpoint | 見方が歪んでいる。 Your viewpoint is distorted. | |
| 腐った橋 A rotten bridge 腐っている橋 A rotting/rotten bridge | 橋が腐っている。 The bridge is rotting/rotten. | 橋が腐った。 The bridge rotted. |
| 凹んだドア A dented door | ドアが凹んでいる。 The door is dented. | ドアが凹んだ。 The door got dented. |
| 凍った川 A frozen river | 川が凍っている。 The river is frozen/freezing. | 川が凍った。 The river froze. |
| 乾いた砂 Dry sand | 砂が乾いている。 The sand is dry/drying. | 砂が乾いた。 The sand dried. |
| ひびが入った壁 Cracked wall | 壁にひびが入っている。 There are cracks in the wall. | 壁にひびが入った。 Cracks have gotten in the wall. |
| 曲がった細道 A twisted narrow path | 細道が曲がっている。 The narrow path is twisted. | |
| 欠けた茶碗 A chipped teacup | 茶碗が欠けている。 The teacup is chipped. | 茶碗が欠けた。 The teacup got chipped. |