How to Say ‘There is / have (inanimate)’ in Japanese
があります
ga ari masu
[gah ah-ree mahss]
💬 Usage Tip: [あります] is for things/conditions (fever, time, homework). For people/animals, use [います].
🇯🇵 In Japan: Using the correct pair [あります]/[います] is a big “sounds natural” milestone for learners in Japan.
Phrase Breakdown
が
ga
[gah]
(subject marker)
Particle marking the subject, often used with existence verbs (ある/いる): 熱がある.
少し熱があります。
There is a slight fever.
あり
ari
[ah-ree]
exist; have (stem of ある)
Stem of ある (“to exist” for non-living things). With symptoms, it means “to have”: 熱がある.
少し熱があります。
There is a slight fever.
ます
masu
[mahss]
(polite verb ending)
Polite ending. あります is the polite form of ある (to exist/to have).
少し熱があります。
There is a slight fever.
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