Structure
Verb[て]+ いる
Verb[て]+ る
Verb[て] + とる
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, 毎晩, 毎週, 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.
Related
Examples
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俺は毎週金曜日の夜にスーパーに行っているのだ。
I go to the supermarket every Friday night. (I am going...)
ふうたろうさんは毎日みくさんと一緒に歴史を勉強している。
Fuutarou-san studies history every day with Miku. (Fuutarou-san is studying...)
魔王さまはバーガークイーンで働いています。
The Demon Lord works at Burger Queen. (The Demon Lord is working...)
この公園では毎週末多くの人が走っています。
Many people run in this park every weekend. (Many people are running...)
どうしてスティーブンはいつも黒いタートルネックを着ているのですか。
Why does Steven always wear a black turtleneck? (is wearing)
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How to use ている
Maggie Sensei
ている uses explained
BriefJapanese
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Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 117
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ている③ – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (11 in total)
Pushindawood
repetition
has (have) done
is… ~ingStructure
- verb[ て ] + いる
- verb[ て ] + る (casual contraction)
- verb[
て] + と る (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
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
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
Thank you very much! I missed this possibility
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
@Pep95
HeyIt 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
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
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
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
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 9時 に寝 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:
嫁 は毎晩 映画 を見 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 、薬 を飲 んどる。Grandmother takes medicin...
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
This is still unanswered
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