ある and いる
“How you do anything is how you do everything.&rdqou; – T. Harv Eker
Putting these two verbs together is the best way to learn the differences between them. You’ll probably need to see these a little more before the differences become automatic, but by the time you finish this I imagine you’ll be at the point where you can at least think out the differences as they pop up. If you can do that, you’re a step closer to knowing the differences automatically.
We’re going to take a look at examples next to each other and your job is to examine how they differ:
a わたし は 犬 が います。
I have a dog.
a わたし は テレビ が あります。
I have a television.
a ねこ が いる。
The cat is there / I have a cat.
a アップル の ネットパソコン が ある。
I have an Apple laptop.
These ones are pretty simple. You have a thing or you have a living thing (i.e. the living thing exists).
a あの みせ は すし が あるよ。
That restaurant over there has sushi, you know.
a フレッドさん は あの みせ に いるよ。
Fred is at that restaurant over there, you know.
a この レストラン で すごく おいしい ビール が ある。
There is amazingly tasty beer at this restaurant. / This restaurant has amazingly tasty beer.
a この レストラン で すごい シェフ が いる。
There is an amazing chef at this restaurant.
With these you have locations. With いる someone (or something living) is at the location. With ある, some thing is at the location. It’s the same sort of meaning for both, but one is for living/moving things and the other is for non-living/non-moving things.