When to use arimasu/imasu or desu?

Minna-san konnichiwa, I'm a little confused on when to use Desu and when to use arimasu/imasu. For example if I say: This is a television => Kore wa terebi desu. But can I use: kore wa terebi arimasu? So basically I'm asking if the are interchangeable?

[quo]*Quote from * ashwinr Minna-san konnichiwa, I'm a little confused on when to use Desu and when to use arimasu/imasu. For example if I say: This is a television => Kore wa terebi desu. But can I use: kore wa terebi arimasu? So basically I'm asking if the are interchangeable?[/quo] They're not interchangle. Desu is a coupula which basically means its the equivalent of the "to be" verbs. However desu more insinuates "it is" and so you'd use Desu for the following: That cat is black. (Sono neko ha kuro desu) I'm happy. (Ureshii desu) How are you? (Genki desu ka?) What's that? (Nan desu ka?) Who is that? (Dare desu ka?) Where are we? (Doko desu ka?) I like cheese. (Chizu ha suki desu.) I like the color green (Midori ha suki desu.) etc. Imasu/Arimasu more state something is in existence. Like: There is a cat over there. (Soko ni neko ga arimasu) Who is there? (Dare ga imasu ka?) There is plenty of cheese. (Ippai chizu ga arimasu.) Do you have green? (Midori ha arimasu ka?) Spongebob is here! (Suponjibobu ha imasu yo!) Also note that Imasu is used only on people/certain animate objects. Arimasu is used only on animals/inanimate objects!... I think Imasu can be used for animals actually... I'm not sure Sayaka may have to clarify that one xD. However NEVER use arimasu with a PERSON as it is a rather harsh statement of "your not human" or "your just a thing" etc. Putting it simply it's not nice.

Konnichiwa! This is an excellent and important question. IMASU vs. ARIMASU Japanese has two verbs for saying "exist(s)" When speaking of PEOPLE or ANIMATE THINGS - いる／います (iru/imasu) is used. When speaking of INANIMATE THINGS and PLANTS - ある／あります (aru/arimasu) is used. Moreover, these words are used not only to speak of whether someone or something exists, but also to speak of whether something or someone exists in a particular place - "is present/is here/ is there" - or, even to say "I have" or "he/she has" (talking about possession). For example: "There is a TV here" or "A TV is here" would be ここにテレビがあります (Koko ni terebi ga arimasu). We use ARIMASU because TV is an INANIMATE thing. "There is a person here" or "A person is here" would be ここにひとがいます (Koko ni hito ga imasu). We use IMASU because PERSON is an ANIMATE noun. -SAYAKA :P

[quo]*Quote from * Sayaka Konnichiwa! This is an excellent and important question. IMASU vs. ARIMASU Japanese has two verbs for saying "exist(s)" When speaking of PEOPLE or ANIMATE THINGS - いる／います (iru/imasu) is used. When speaking of INANIMATE THINGS and PLANTS - ある／あります (aru/arimasu) is used. Moreover, these words are used not only to speak of whether someone or something exists, but also to speak of whether something or someone exists in a particular place - "is present/is here/ is there" - or, even to say "I have" or "he/she has" (talking about possession). For example: "There is a TV here" or "A TV is here" would be ここにテレビがあります (Koko ni terebi ga arimasu). We use ARIMASU because TV is an INANIMATE thing. "There is a person here" or "A person is here" would be ここにひとがいます (Koko ni hito ga imasu). We use IMASU because PERSON is an ANIMATE noun. -SAYAKA :P[/quo] but sometimes , I would think, you can use bith. That the difficulty. For example when people say I am, they would say:" Watashi wa Ashwin desu" But as a person I exist, so couldn't you use imasu?? => Watashi Wa Ashwin imasu. I am, therefor I exist! :P Or there *is* a key on the table: "Teburu ni, kagi desu"

[quo]*Quote from * ashwinr Or there *is* a key on the table: "Teburu ni, kagi desu"[/quo] That last one doesn't make too much sense... "ni" in essence is "by the means of" so "By the means of table, it's a key." is basically what you just said. To say there is a key on the table, it'd probably be best to use "de" and "arimasu" for that. "Teeberu de kagi ga arimasu"

Minnasan Konnichiwa! Let's take the correct phrase: わたしはアシュウィンです。(Watashi wa Ashwin desu.) And the incorrect phrase: わたしはアシュウィンいます。(Watashi wa Ashwin imasu.) AS Derek-san has mentioned beforehand, です and います are not interchangeable. It's perhaps better to think of いる and います as the English equivalent of someone "is present/is here/ is there". For example, "I am here." would be わたしはここにいます。(Watashi wa koko ni imasu.) "Ashwin is here." would be アシュウィンはここにいます。 (Ashwin wa koko ni imasu.) "Derek is there." would be デレックはそこにいます。 (Derek wa soko ni imasu.) On the other hand, です (desu) is equivalent to "(I) am" or "(he/she/it) is" or "(they) are" in English - it does not suggest that someone is here/there - or is present. So, if we were to directly translate わたしはアシュウィンいます。(Watashi wa Ashwin imasu.) it would roughly sound like "I am Ashwin is here/there." which is incorrect. -Sayaka :P

[quo]*Quote from * DemonicDerek [quo]*Quote from * ashwinr Minna-san konnichiwa, I'm a little confused on when to use Desu and when to use arimasu/imasu. For example if I say: This is a television => Kore wa terebi desu. But can I use: kore wa terebi arimasu? So basically I'm asking if the are interchangeable?[/quo] They're not interchangle. Desu is a coupula which basically means its the equivalent of the "to be" verbs. However desu more insinuates "it is" and so you'd use Desu for the following: That cat is black. (Sono neko ha kuro desu) I'm happy. (Ureshii desu) How are you? (Genki desu ka?) What's that? (Nan desu ka?) Who is that? (Dare desu ka?) Where are we? (Doko desu ka?) I like cheese. (Chizu ha suki desu.) I like the color green (Midori ha suki desu.) etc. Imasu/Arimasu more state something is in existence. Like: There is a cat over there. (Soko ni neko ga arimasu) Who is there? (Dare ga imasu ka?) There is plenty of cheese. (Ippai chizu ga arimasu.) Do you have green? (Midori ha arimasu ka?) Spongebob is here! (Suponjibobu ha imasu yo!) Also note that Imasu is used only on people/certain animate objects. Arimasu is used only on animals/inanimate objects!... I think Imasu can be used for animals actually... I'm not sure Sayaka may have to clarify that one xD. However NEVER use arimasu with a PERSON as it is a rather harsh statement of "your not human" or "your just a thing" etc. Putting it simply it's not nice.[/quo] Sorry, but I kind of don't understand your examples. I don't why you use 'ha' as in 'Midori *ha* arimasu ka?) Is it a typo for 'ga' or is it 'wa'? Well, 'wa' is actually は(ha) in the first place. If it's 'wa', that will bring us to the next question. :arrow: WA --> Focus on predicate of the sentence :arrow: GA --> Focus on subject of the sentence RIGHT? OK. Then take a look at these examples: [quo]*Quote:* I like cheese. (Chizu ha suki desu.) I like the color green (Midori ha suki desu.)[/quo] Which is equivalent to: I like cheese. (Chizu *wa* suki desu.) I like the color green (Midori *wa* suki desu.) Since you're talking about *cheese*, cheese will be the main subject. So why use 'ha'/'wa' instead of 'ga'? The same thing goes for Midori *wa* suki desu. We are talking about the *colour green*, aren't we? :mrgreen: ANYONE, HELP ME OUT, WILL YOU?

[quo]*Quote from * Sayaka Minnasan Konnichiwa! Let's take the correct phrase: わたしはアシュウィンです。(Watashi wa Ashwin desu.) And the incorrect phrase: わたしはアシュウィンいます。(Watashi wa Ashwin imasu.) AS Derek-san has mentioned beforehand, です and います are not interchangeable. It's perhaps better to think of いる and います as the English equivalent of someone "is present/is here/ is there". For example, "I am here." would be わたしはここにいます。(Watashi wa koko ni imasu.) "Ashwin is here." would be アシュウィンはここにいます。 (Ashwin wa koko ni imasu.) "Derek is there." would be デレックはそこにいます。 (Derek wa soko ni imasu.) On the other hand, です (desu) is equivalent to "(I) am" or "(he/she/it) is" or "(they) are" in English - it does not suggest that someone is here/there - or is present. So, if we were to directly translate わたしはアシュウィンいます。(Watashi wa Ashwin imasu.) it would roughly sound like "I am Ashwin is here/there." which is incorrect. -Sayaka :P[/quo] Thank you, that was very clear.

When が (*ga*) follows a noun or noun substitute directly, it's a subject marker, but when が (*ga*) follows a verb, adjective, or noun + だ／です (*da/desu*), it's serving as a connecting word. -Sayaka :P