Japanese refresher · 5 minutes · 0003
〜ている: not simply “-ing”
〜ている says that a situation holds at the time you are talking about. The verb and context tell you what kind of situation it is.
One mental model, three readings
Do not translate the ending first. Ask what kind of event the verb describes, then place the camera inside the situation that currently holds.
Ongoing activity: 今、ご飯を食べています。
I’m eating now.
Resulting state: ドアが開いています。
The door is open.
Repeated activity: 毎朝、6時に走っています。
I run at six every morning.
The verb determines the shape
| Event shape | What holds now |
|---|---|
| Durative action | 子どもたちが公園で遊んでいます。 The activity is underway. |
| Change of state | 結婚しています。 The change happened; its result holds. |
| Repeated activity | 大学で英語を教えています。 The activity recurs within the current period. |
The readings are not three unrelated translations. Their common core is: this activity, state, or pattern is in effect at the reference time.
This builds directly on lesson 0002’s event-versus-agent camera: ドアを開けている normally shows an action underway, while ドアが開いている shows the state left by a change.
The revealing case: 知る
そのニュースを昨日知りました。
I found out about the news yesterday.
そのことは知っています。
I know about that.
知る conceptualizes entering the state of knowing. After that change, 知っている describes the knowledge state that holds.
知っています。 I know.
知りません。 I don’t know.
The negative is conventionally 知りません. 知っていません is possible but more marked and context-dependent: grammar gives you a pattern, but usage still chooses the normal form.
Move the camera: 〜ていた
〜ている → the situation holds at NOW
〜ていた → the situation held at THEN
雨が降っていました。
It was raining.
その時、彼は結婚していました。
At that time, he was married.
大学生のころ、毎日走っていました。
When I was a university student, I ran every day.
Standard spoken Japanese: ている → てる
何してる？ What are you doing?
知ってる？ Do you know?
東京に住んでる。 I live in Tokyo.
ドア、開いてるよ。 The door’s open.
This contraction is ordinary standard conversation, not dialect. Keep 〜ています when the register calls for politeness.
Common learner trap
If Tanaka is visibly walking toward the station, an English-inspired △ 駅に行っています can be ambiguous because it may describe the resulting situation after he has gone there.
○ 今、駅に向かっています。
He’s heading toward the station now.
田中さんは駅に行っています。
Tanaka has gone to the station / is there after going.
45-second retrieval drill
A ongoing · B resulting state · C repeated or habitual
1. 窓が開いています。
B: the window is in the state left by opening.
2. 今、メールを書いています。
A: the writing activity is underway now.
3. 毎週水曜日に日本語を勉強しています。
C: studying recurs every Wednesday.
4. 妹は結婚しています。
B: she is in the state resulting from marriage.
5. あ、雨が降ってる！
A: the rain is falling now.
Mental hook: what kind of event is this verb describing, and what situation from it holds at the time we are talking about?