〜ている: Progressive & State (Meaning + Examples)
The meaning it adds
Attach いる to a verb's て-form and you layer aspect onto the plain verb — you stop reporting that something happens and start tracking where it is in time. The same shape carries three closely related readings:
- Ongoing action ("be -ing"): the action is happening right now.
- Resulting state ("be in a state"): an action already happened, and its result continues.
- Habit: a regular, repeated action over a stretch of time.
The verb underneath decides which of these you hear, so the pairing matters more than the ending.
Which verbs it pairs with
Formation never changes: take the て-form and add いる (casual) or います (polite).
| Verb | て-form | 〜ている |
|---|---|---|
| 読む (to read) | 読んで | 読んでいる |
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べて | 食べている |
| する (to do) | して | している |
In casual speech the い often drops: 読んでる, 食べてる — very common in conversation.
What shifts is the meaning, and it hinges on the kind of verb you attach it to:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb + ている | happening now (progressive) | 食べている = is eating |
| Change/moment verb + ている | resulting state | 結婚している = is married |
Stretchable actions (eat, read, run) give the progressive reading. Verbs that mark a one-instant change (start, arrive, marry, die, turn on) give the state reading. A handful you'll meet constantly in that state sense: 知っている (know), 持っている (have), 住んでいる (live), 結婚している (be married).
In use
With an action verb, 〜ている reports something in progress right now:
ヤッタンは今、本を読んでいます。
ヤッタンは いま、ほんを よんで います。
Yattan is reading a book now.
今 (now) makes the 'in progress' meaning clear.
雨が降っている。
あめが ふって いる。
It's raining.
With a change-of-state verb, the same ending describes the state left behind — not a repeated action:
電気がついている。
でんきが ついて いる。
The light is on.
Not 'the light is turning on' — it turned on, and stays on.
ヤッタンはモチを知っていますか。
ヤッタンは モチを しって いますか。
Does Yattan know Mochi?
知っている = 'know' (a state). 知る alone means 'to come to know.'
And with a time word like 毎朝, it reads as a habit across a stretch of time:
弟は毎朝ジョギングをしています。
おとうとは まいあさ ジョギングを して います。
My little brother jogs every morning.
毎朝 (every morning) signals a habit, not this exact moment.
〜ている vs the plain verb
The plain verb states a fact or a future/general action; 〜ている pins it to an ongoing moment or a lingering result — and that gap is where learners slip:
- 知っている is not a present action. It means "know" (a state left by 知る, "to come to know"). For "I don't know," the natural negative is 知らない, not 知っていない.
- 結婚している is not "is getting married." It means "is married" (the state); the wedding already happened.
- Don't over-read the casual drop. 食べてる is just casual 食べている — same meaning, dropped い.
The short version
- 〜ている = て-form + いる; polite 〜ています.
- Action verbs → "is doing" (progressive).
- Change/moment verbs → "is in a state" (result).
- Also covers habits with words like 毎日 / 毎朝.
Practice it
Choose the right meaning or form of 〜ている.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
ヤッタンは今、へやで本を＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 〜ている and 〜ています?
Only politeness. 〜ている is casual; 〜ています is polite. In casual speech the い often drops too: 〜てる.
Why does 知っている mean 'know' and not 'is knowing'?
知る marks the moment of 'coming to know,' so its 〜ている form describes the resulting state — you already came to know, and you still do. Hence 'know.'
How do I say 'I don't know'?
Use 知らない (casual) or 知りません (polite). 知っていない is unnatural for 'don't know.'
Can 〜ている describe a habit?
Yes. With time words like 毎日 or 最近, it expresses a regular or recent ongoing habit: 毎朝走っています ('I jog every morning').
Where 〜ている fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- The て-form · N5 — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜てある · N4 — 〜てある marks a state someone created on purpose: 窓が開けてある ('the window has been opened'). Learn the formation, the が particle, and how it differs from 〜ている.
Once this clicks, go on to
- 〜てしまう · N4 — 〜てしまう adds 'finish completely' or 'oops, ended up' to a verb. Learn the て-form formation, the regret nuance, past 〜てしまった, and the casual contractions 〜ちゃう / 〜じゃう.
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜あとで — 〜あとで means 'after' doing something: past-form verb + あとで (ご飯を食べたあとで) or noun + のあとで (授業のあとで). Learn the た-form rule and how it differs from 前に.
- 〜前に — 〜前に means 'before': dictionary-form verb + 前に (寝る前に), noun + の前に (食事の前に), and time + 前に (三年前に). Always use the dictionary form — even for past events.
- 〜てから — 〜てから links two actions in order: do X first, then Y. Learn the て-form + から pattern, how it differs from 〜たあとで, and why it is not the から that means 'because'.
- 〜から — から has two everyday jobs: 'because' (giving a reason) and 'from' (a starting point in time or place). Learn how each works, how it differs from ので, with clear examples.
- 〜ので — 〜ので gives a reason in a soft, polite way ('because…'). Learn how it attaches, how it differs from から, and why it's the safer choice for explanations and excuses.