N4 Perception & Transitive

[Intransitive Verb]ている: meaning, usage and examples

[Intransitive Verb]ている means: the circumstance of remaining effects.

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How to form it

＜Noun＞ + が + ＜Intransitive verb て-form＞ + いる (e.g. 開あいている, 壊こわれている)

Examples

  1. 窓まどが開あいています。

    The window is open.

  2. 電気でんきがついています。

    The light is on.

  3. 店みせのドアが閉しまっています。

    The shop's door is closed.

  4. この時計とけいは壊こわれています。

    This clock is broken.

When to use it

With intransitive verbs of change, ている shows the result that remains: 窓まどが開あいています (the window is open), 電気でんきがついています (the light is on), 時計とけいが壊こわれています (the clock is broken). Something changed earlier, and the new state continues now. It describes what you see in front of you.

Nuance

Neutral, used everywhere. It only describes the state; no one did it on purpose, or the speaker does not care who did. Verbs like 開あく, 閉しまる, つく, 消きえる, 壊こわれる, 落おちる and 止とまる are typical.

Compare

[Transitive] てある means someone did it on purpose: 窓まどが開あけてあります. [Transitive] ている is an action in progress: 窓まどを開あけています (someone is opening the window). With action verbs such as 食たべる, ている means "is doing": 食たべています.

Tip: English often uses an adjective here (open, on, broken). In Japanese, use the intransitive verb + ている: 開あいています, not 開あいです.

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Frequently asked questions

What does [Intransitive Verb]ている mean?

The circumstance of remaining effects. Example: 窓まどが開あいています。 (The window is open.)

How do you form [Intransitive Verb]ている?

＜Noun＞ + が + ＜Intransitive verb て-form＞ + いる (e.g. 開あいている, 壊こわれている). English often uses an adjective here (open, on, broken). In Japanese, use the intransitive verb + ている: 開あいています, not 開あいです.