📸 Family Picture — Ongoing Actions
In this chapter, we explore how to describe what people are doing right now, as well as their long-term states and physical appearances.
Ongoing Actions & States: ~Te iru
The ~ている (~te iru) form is formed by adding “iru” to the Te-form verb. It has two distinct meanings depending on the verb type.
1. Actions in Progress
Equivalent to English “-ing”. Used with activity verbs.
たべています (Tabete imasu)
I am eating.まっています (Matte imasu)
I am waiting.
2. Resultant States
Describes a state resulting from a past action. Often translated as present tense in English.
すんでいます (Sunde imasu)
I live (in Tokyo).けっこんしています (Kekkon shite imasu)
I am married.しっています (Shitte imasu)
I know. Negative: Shirimasen (NOT Shitte imasen)
Describing Appearance
To describe body parts, we focus on the person as the topic, and the body part as the subject.
[Person] wa [Body Part] ga [Adjective].
- メアリーさんは かみが ながいです。
- Mary-san wa kami ga nagai desu.
- (Mary has long hair. / As for Mary, her hair is long.)
- トムさんは せが たかいです。
- Tom-san wa se ga takai desu.
- (Tom is tall. / As for Tom, his height is high.)
Common Body Parts:
- あたま (Atama) - Head (Smart: Atama ga ii)
- め (Me) - Eye
- かみ (Kami) - Hair
- せ (Se) - Height (Back)
Joining Sentences (Adjectives & Nouns)
The Te-form allows us to stack descriptions.
| Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| i-Adjective | Remove い, add くて | やすい → やすくて (Cheap and…) |
| na-Adjective | Add で | げんき → げんきで (Example and…) |
| Noun | Add で | にほんじん → にほんじんで (Japanese and…) |
Examples:
- このみせは やすくて、おいしいです。
- (This shop is cheap and delicious.)
- ホテルは きれいで、しずかでした。
- (The hotel was clean and quiet.) Tense is at the end.
Purpose of Movement: Stem + Ni iku
Use the verb stem (Masu-form without ‘masu’) + に (ni) to show purpose.
[Place] e [Verb Stem] ni ikimasu.
- デパートに かいものに いきました。
- Depaato ni kaimono ni ikimashita.
- (I went to the department store to shop.)
- うちに ばんごはんを たべに かえります。
- Uchi ni bangohan o tabe ni kaerimasu.
- (I return home to eat dinner.)
Cultural Note: Family Terms (Uchi vs Soto)
Japanese has two sets of words for family: one for your own family (humble) and one for others’ (polite).
| Relation | My Family (Humble) | Others’ Family (Polite) |
|---|---|---|
| Father | 父 (Chichi) | お父さん (Otousan) |
| Mother | 母 (Haha) | お母さん (Okaasan) |
| Older Brother | 兄 (Ani) | お兄さん (Oniisan) |
| Older Sister | 姉 (Ane) | お姉さん (Oneesan) |
| Younger Brother | 弟 (Otouto) | 弟さん (Otoutosan) |
| Younger Sister | 妹 (Imouto) | 妹さん (Imoutosan) |
| Husband | 主人 (Shujin) | ご主人 (Goshujin) |
| Wife | 家内 (Kanai) | 奥さん (Okusan) |
Test Your Knowledge
Chapter Quiz
Select the sentence for: 'I am eating lunch.'