Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 10: 2/12

~ている ③Has/have done, Is ~ing (Repetition)

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

Verb[て]+ いる
Verb[て]+
Verb[] +

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Conjunctive Particle

  • Word Type

    Verb

  • Register

    Standard

About ている③

The 3rd most common meaning (in no specific order) that ている is used for in Japanese, is the repetition of common activities. This is for things that are not 'continuing', but happen so often that they are considered to be continuous (like going to work, having a hobby, and similar things).

Due to いる being one of the verbs for 'existing' in Japanese, the ている form is closer to 'continuing to exist in a specific state', rather than (A)~ing in English. In this construction, it can be thought of as 'to be existing in the state of performing a regular activity'.

Caution

With this meaning of ている, to make it easier to understand, expressions of time are often used. This can be things like 毎日(まいにち), 毎晩(まいばん), 毎週(まいしゅう), and similar phrases.

Fun Fact

Regularly in novels, manga, and specifically some parts of Japan, とる may be used instead of ている with the same meaning.

Examples

--:--

    (おれ)毎週(まいしゅう)金曜日(きんようび)(よる)スーパーに()っているのだ

    I go to the supermarket every Friday night. (I am going...)

    ふうたろうさん毎日(まいにち)みくさん一緒(いっしょ)歴史(れきし)勉強(べんきょう)している

    Fuutarou-san studies history every day with Miku. (Fuutarou-san is studying...)

    魔王(まおう)さまバーガークイーン(はたら)いています

    The Demon Lord works at Burger Queen. (The Demon Lord is working...)

    この公園(こうえん)毎週末(まいしゅうまつ)(おお)くの(ひと)(はし)っています

    Many people run in this park every weekend. (Many people are running...)

    どうしてスティーブンいつも(くろ)タートルネック()ているのです

    Why does Steven always wear a black turtleneck? (is wearing)

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ている③ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (11 in total)

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    repetition
    has (have) done
    is… ~ing

    Structure

    • verb[ ] + いる
    • verb[ ] + (casual contraction)
    • verb[ ] + と (casual form used in some regions)

    You may come across verb [て] + て (来てて). This is the て-form of ている - 来ていて with い omitted.

    [ている can also express occupation, hobbies, and habits. This use is often, but not always, accompanied by time-related expressions like 毎日、毎晩、よく, etc.]

    [In other cases, you have to judge a particular ている meaning from context]

    [It can also be used with other frequency expressions like 週間にX回 and...

  • artmales

    artmales

    どうしてスティーブンはいつも黒いタートルネックを着ているのですか

    How “のです” influences meaning of the sentence? Why don’t we say “…着ていますか” or “ているか”? And why don’t we need “は” in “のですか” (like “のはですか”)?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey!

    This のですか is a construction used when asking for (detailed) explanations. You can read more about it here and here.

    It should help you understand it

    Cheers!

  • artmales

    artmales

    Thank you very much! I missed this possibility

  • Pep95

    Pep95

    I see this is the only ている grammar point that has the following ways to write ている colloquially.

    Are these colloquialisms not used in the other two scenario’s?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    @Pep95
    Hey

    It applies to all other uses (it is written at the bottom of the grammar point actually, but not on forums, adding it here right now!).

    The information about it doesn’t appear in previous テイル1 and テイル2 because I felt it would be too much additional information considering that those two already have enough nuances under sentences and would likely confuse students.

    I hope it helps,
    Cheers!

  • testing

    testing

    Is there a reason that

    俺は毎週金曜日の夜にスーパーに行っているのだ。

    is correct, but

    俺は毎週金曜日の夜にスーパーに行っていますのだ。

    is not accepted?

  • Pep95

    Pep95

    I think the のだ is already casual (のです would be more formal), so it wouldn’t make sense to use the formal ~ます form in that sentence?

    From this website

    Note: the negative-polite form: ません is not used with explanatory のだ (んだ). Even though we explained the negative form: ないです is a colloquial expression, you can be formal enough by using のだ.

  • Xyzyx

    Xyzyx

    There should be an option to omit the bracketed [is doing] (and the like). It makes it a bit too easy IMO. I feel like I need to make the connection that te-iru can mean something other than “is presently doing”, and the bracketed [is doing] doesn’t help with that . For clarity, the hint-levels in one of the reviews is as follows:

    No hint / translation

    I go[am going]

    I go to the supermarket every Friday night. [am going]

  • semanticman

    semanticman

    I’m having trouble understanding the difference between when the “repetition of common activities” use of ている is different than the “habitual” sense of the basic non-past form.

    In this lesson, we see the example:

    毎晩まいばんている。

    I sleep at 9 every night. (This is a habit of the speaker)

    While in the lesson for non-past, we see:

    よめ毎晩まいばん映画えいがます

    My wife watches movies every night.

    And many other examples seem equivalent.

    ている #3 lesson example:

    ばあさんは毎晩まいばんくすりんど

    Grandmother takes medicin...

  • diddy_dante

    diddy_dante

    For:
    ひとみさんのお母さんは教師をしている。
    Hitomi’s mother is a teacher. (Hitomi’s mother is doing…)

    would just ひとみさんのお母さんは教師です not also be fine? Is the usage of している significantly more common?

    And also (I’m genuinely serious), regarding
    “をやっている can also be used in this case, but it sounds more casual (and might sound a bit rude)”
    Considering やる is also slang for to have sex (according to dictionary (JMdict)), how would you differentiate that Hitomi’s mother is a teacher vs Hitomi’s mother is doing a teacher?

  • semanticman

    semanticman

    This is still unanswered

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