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.

  • (おれ)毎日(まいにち)勉強(べんきょう)とる
    I study every day.

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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