Word listsJapanese

いる to exist, to be, to have

いる is the #17 most common word in Japanese, a verb. It means “to exist, to be, to have” and is pronounced [iɾɯ̟].

#17frequency rank
0.63%of everyday Japanese text
Level 1Beginner 1

Forms of いる

FormWhat it isMeaning
いたpastexisted
presentexist
いよcommandexist!
いろcommandexist!
いられるpassivebe existed
いれるcolloquialcan exist
いないnegativedo not exist
いぬnegativedo not exist
いんnegativedo not exist
いずnegativeexisting (stem form)
いますpolite
いればconditionalif ... exist
irrealisexisting (stem form)
ゐれrealisexisting (stem form)
ゐよcommandexist!
ゐずnegativedo not exist
ゐれどcontrastive
ゐばconditionalif ... exist
ゐきpastexisted
ゐけりpastexisted
ゐつpastexisted
ゐぬpastexisted
ゐたりpastexisting (stem form)
居るalternative, kanji, uncommon

#16 こと · #18 ね

Learn いる and the 500 words around it →