Existential Crisis

In this Topic, we're going to take a closer look at the verbs ある and いる, which are used to say that someone or something exists. We'll dive into the full range of uses and nuances in the details section.

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がある
To be, There is
がある is a common construction that is simply a combination of the が particle, and the う-Verb, ある. This expression means 'to exist', or 'there is', and is used in relation to non-living/inanimate things.
Because the things being described in these examples are not considered to be 'alive', ある is the verb that will be used. いる is used for living things.

The polite form of ある conjugates as あります. Due to the る changing to り, we can determine that ある is a う-Verb (Godan verb). However, ある is irregular in that the plain negative form is ない, not あらない.
The kanji form of 有(あ)る is quite common, and should be learned as early as possible, to save any confusion while reading. There is no difference in nuance between this expression being used with, or without kanji, and is up to the preference of the writer.
Caution

The が in がある is often omitted in casual speech, or writing that behaves like casual speech (manga, instant messaging, etc).
N5 文法
がいる
To be, There is, To remain (in a state)
がいる is a common construction that is simply a combination of the が particle, and the verb いる. This expression means 'to exist', or 'there is', and is used in relation to living/animate things.
Because the things being described in these examples are considered to be alive (or operated by something that is alive), いる is the verb that will be used. ある is used for non-living things.

The polite form of いる conjugates as います. Due to the る being removed, we can determine that いる is a る-Verb (Ichidan verb).

The kanji form of 居(い)る is quite common, and should be learned as early as possible to save any confusion while reading. There is no nuance difference between this expression being used with or without kanji, and is up to the preference of the writer.
Caution

The が in がいる is often omitted in casual speech, or writing that behaves like casual speech (manga, instant messaging, etc).
N5 文法

詳細

Although we touched on the basics on the individual grammar point pages, let's take a closer look at the deeper nuances of いる and ある.

To Have and Have Not

Both いる and ある can sometimes be translated as 'have'.

With いる, this is in cases such as 'having' a boyfriend or sister, and so on.

With ある, this use implies possession or ownership, and will often use the kanji 有 to show this nuance. This is just an extension of its normal meaning, where something that one owns is something that 'exists' in one's possession.

Since the kanji 有 is used with ある to show possession, you may be wondering if any kanji is used to show the nuance of simple existence. And there is one! 在 can be used to emphasize existence, instead of possession.

Despite this, in the vast majority of cases no kanji is used to write ある. Hiragana is the standard, so it is not necessary to memorize the kanji forms right away.

Particle Physics

As we have seen so far, the location where something exists is usually marked by に.

However, even though に is the standard particle to use when marking a location with いる and ある, there is one case where things are a little different, and で must be used instead.

As we learned in a previous Topic, で is used to mark the location that an action takes place, like a 'stage'. This means when talking about holding or conducting an event, で is used. The focus is on the action of the event, not on simply existing.

You'll see this use commonly for things like festivals, concerts, parties, and meetings.