ongoing action or current state (ている) – Japanese Grammar ている (te iru)

Q: What JLPT level is ている?

JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures

Q: How do you use ている in a sentence?

Attach ている to the appropriate verb or noun form. Ongoing action or current state

Q: Is ている formal or casual Japanese?

ている can be used in both casual conversation and polite speech depending on context.

ている

N5 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

te iru

ongoing action or current state

はどうですか wa dou desu ka に/へ ni/e だろう darou がほしい ga hoshii や ya つもり tsumori けれども keredo mo まで made だけ dake すぎる sugiru にする ni suru があります ga arimasu けど kedo じゃない・ではない janai / dewa nai ましょうか mashouka よ yo が ga てもいいです temo ii desu をください o kudasai のです no desu はどうですか wa dou desu ka に/へ ni/e だろう darou がほしい ga hoshii や ya つもり tsumori けれども keredo mo まで made だけ dake すぎる sugiru にする ni suru があります ga arimasu けど kedo じゃない・ではない janai / dewa nai ましょうか mashouka よ yo が ga てもいいです temo ii desu をください o kudasai のです no desu

🃏 Flashcard

ている

te iru

Tap to reveal usage

ongoing action or current state

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N5

Beginner · Basic sentence structures

Reading te iru

Post ID 50667

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

ongoing action or current state

📖 How to use it

Expresses an ongoing action or a current state resulting from a past action.

Attaches to Attach to the て-form of a verb: て + いる. For る-verbs, change る to て (e.g., 食べる → 食べて); for う-verbs, apply the standard て-form conjugation (e.g., 書く → 書いて, 読む → 読んで).

You use ている to say that something is happening right now, like 'I am eating'. It also describes a state that continues after a change, like 'the light is on' (someone turned it on, and it stays on). For beginners, the first meaning is the easiest: an action in progress at the moment of speaking.

But ている is not only for actions. With some verbs, especially those that express a change, ている shows a result that remains. For example, 結婚している means 'is married' (the wedding happened, and the state continues). 知っている means 'know' (you learned it, and you still know it).

In conversation, people often shorten いる to る, so 食べている becomes 食べてる. This is very common in casual speech, but in writing and formal speech, use the full form ている.

今、本を読んでいます。

Ima, hon o yonde imasu.

I am reading a book now.

姉は東京に住んでいます。

Ane wa Tōkyō ni sunde imasu.

My older sister lives in Tokyo.

ドアが開いています。

Doa ga aite imasu.

The door is open.

Not ている vs. てあるている describes an ongoing action or a state that resulted from an action, without focusing on who did it. てある focuses on a state that someone intentionally brought about, and it often implies a purpose. For example, ドアが開いている simply says the door is open; ドアが開けてある implies someone opened it for a reason (like for ventilation).

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

ている

📚 How to Master This Pattern

🔊

Say It Aloud

Press Hear it and repeat ている three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Flip Before Reading

Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.

✍️

Write Two Sentences

Compose two original sentences using ている. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

⏰

Spaced Review

Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.

🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns

← Previous

てある

is/has been done (resulting state)

てから

after doing~

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern ている mean? ▼

Ongoing action or current state

What JLPT level is ている? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use ている in a sentence? ▼

Attach ている (te iru) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is ている formal or casual Japanese? ▼

ている is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.

How can I remember ている long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.