〜ている vs 〜てある: Ongoing State vs Prepared State

The core difference

Both land on a present state, but they differ on the verb they take and on whether a human intention is implied:

The grammar rule is clean: ている sits on intransitive verbs and reports a state, while てある sits on transitive verbs and reports a state that someone prepared. The nuance follows from that — ている just describes, てある points at an unseen doer.

See it in one situation

Same window, same "open," two different stories:

The first is a plain observation. The second hints at a doer with a purpose — maybe ヤッタン opened it before the guests arrived.

〜ている — the ongoing or natural state

Use 〜ている for an action happening right now, or for a resulting state described as it is, without crediting anyone. It pairs most naturally with intransitive verbs, where the subject takes が.

Because ている only describes, it's the right choice when you don't know or don't care who caused the state: ドアが閉まっている simply means "the door is closed."

Full details: 〜ている guide.

〜てある — the deliberately prepared state

Use 〜てある when a transitive verb's action was done on purpose and the result is left in place for a reason. The object of that action takes が, and the doer, though unnamed, is felt in the background.

Notice the preparation feeling: てある often answers "is it ready?" — モチが窓を開けてある means Mochi opened it and left it open for a purpose.

Full details: 〜てある guide.

A useful contrast: who did it, and the particle

• 〜ている with an intransitive verb (開く, つく, 閉まる) = the state just is; the subject takes が and no doer is implied.
• 〜てある with a transitive verb (開ける, つける, 閉める) = the state was made; the object takes が and a deliberate doer is implied.

So if the verb is one you'd normally pair with を (someone does it to something) and you want to stress that it was set up on purpose, you're in てある territory. If the verb happens on its own, it's ている.

Common mistakes

1. Putting てある on an intransitive verb. 窓が開いてある is wrong (開く is intransitive). Use 窓が開いている (natural state) or switch to the transitive 開ける → 窓が開けてある.
2. Using を with てある. The prepared object takes が, not を: 窓が開けてある, not 窓を開けてある. (To keep を, use 〜ておく: 窓を開けておく.)
3. Reaching for てある when you just mean "it's like this." If no one deliberately caused it, use ている: 電気がついている ("the light is on"), not つけてある unless you mean someone left it on for a reason.
4. Mixing up progress and state. ている can mean "is doing" (本を読んでいる) or "is in a state" (閉まっている); てある only ever means a prepared state, never an action in progress.

Quick recap

• 〜ている = action in progress OR a natural resulting state; usually intransitive; subject takes が; no doer implied.
• 〜てある = a state someone set up on purpose; always transitive; object takes が; doer & purpose implied.
• Fast tell: intransitive/natural → ている; transitive + intention → てある.
• 窓が開いている (just open) vs 窓が開けてある (opened on purpose).
• てある often signals preparation: "already done, ready for a reason."

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