Grammar Info
N5 Lesson 5: 10/12

~ている ①
Is, Am, Are (~ing)

ている is often shortened to てる. This applies to all tenses, including てる, てて, てた, and even てます

Structure
Casual
Polite
Verb[て]+ いる
Verb[て]+
Verb[て]+ います
Verb[て]+ ます
Details
Part of Speech Conjunctive Particle
Word Type Verb
Register Standard
品詞 接続助詞
単語の種類 動詞
使用域 一般
Information
ている is a construction used in Japanese to convey that someone or something is existing in a constant state of ‘doing’ the verb that comes before . In English, depending on the verb, this can be translated as ‘is (A)’, ‘am (A), or ‘are (A)~ing’. The expression is made by adding いる to the form of either る-Verbs, or う-Verbs.
  • シャンプー何(なに)使(つか)っている
    What shampoo are you using?
  • 今(いま)ラーメン食(た)べています
    I am eating ramen now.
Due to いる being one of the verbs for ‘existing’ in Japanese, the ている form means something closer to ‘continuing to exist in a specific state’, rather than (A)~ing in English. This is why verbs like 死(し)ぬ, and 知(し)る, appear as the ている form in Japanese, when they would appear as the past form in English.
  • お前(まえ)もう死(し)んでいる
    You are already dead.
  • この人(ひと)誰(だれ)知(し)っている
    Do you know who this is?
Slow Male
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何(なに)ている
What are you doing?
Play  
寿司(すし)食(た)べている
I am eating sushi.
Play  
寿司(すし)食(た)べています
I am eating sushi.
Play  
Books
Genki I
Page 136
Genki I 2nd Edition
Page 170
Marugoto Elementary 1 (A2) Rikai
Page 24, 50
みんなの日本語 I
Page 92 [CH 14]
みんなの日本語 II
Page 24 [CH 28]
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 2 & 155
Marugoto Elementary 2 (A2) Rikai
Page 33
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 114