The ใใฆใใ (~te iru) Form
The ~te iru form is used to express ongoing actions ('I am doing') and ongoing states ('It is broken'). It's one of the most common verb forms in Japanese.
Two Main Meanings of ใใฆใใ
In English, '-ing' usually means an action is happening right now (I am eating). In Japanese, ~ใฆใใ can mean two entirely different things depending on the verb.
1. Ongoing Action: For verbs that take time (eat, read, run), ~ใฆใใ means the action is currently in progress. ('I am eating')
2. State of Being: For verbs that happen in an instant (break, get married, die), ~ใฆใใ means the action happened, and its state continues. ('I am married' / 'It is broken')
To make this form, you simply take the Te-form of a verb and add 'iru' (or 'imasu' for polite speech).
Conjugation Rules
Example Sentences
Teacher's Advice
In conversational Japanese, the 'i' in '~te iru' is often dropped! So 'tabete iru' becomes 'tabeteru', and 'nonde imasu' becomes 'nondemasu'. Listen closely to native speakers and you'll hear this everywhere!
JLPT Exam Patterns
- โขDistinguishing between ongoing actions and states (N5, N4)
- โข็ฅใฃใฆใใพใ (I know) vs ็ฅใใพใใ (I don't know - Exception: do not use shitte imasen) (N5)
- โขListening questions using the casual dropped 'i' form (~ใฆใ) (N4)
Master the ~te iru form
Practice transforming dictionary verbs into their ~te iru states with our interactive quizzes.
Start Quiz โ