How to tell them apart
ている describes an ongoing action or a state that resulted from something the subject itself did, like 佐々木さんは酒を飲んでいる or 林檎が腐っている. てある is used when someone performed a volitional action on an object and the result remains, as in 窓が開けてある. Swapping them is unnatural because てある requires a transitive verb and an intentional prior act, whereas ている does not.
- ている Use ている when describing an action in progress or a state resulting from the subject's own action.
- てある Use てある when someone intentionally did something to an object and the result still remains.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| ている teiru | Ongoing action or resulting state | N5 |
| てある tearu | Something is in a completed or done state | N4 |
ている teiru
Ongoing action or resulting state
ている follows the te-form of a verb and expresses an ongoing action, as in 何を話しているの, or a resulting state, as in １１時になっている. It can also describe a characteristic state, as in 変わっている. It is common in both casual questions and statements.
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それで何をしようとしているの？
And what are we going to do?
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１１時になっているよ。
It is already eleven.
てある tearu
Something is in a completed or done state
てある attaches to the te-form of a verb and describes a state that exists because something has been done, often something done in advance or on purpose. It commonly appears with verbs like 書く or 言う to report what is written or said, and can follow かれて in passive-style uses.
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すでに言ってあるように、これもあなたの仕事のうちだ。
This is also part of your work, as I told you before.
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フランス語で書かれてあるので、この本は読むのがたいへんだ。
Written in French, this book is not easy to read.
ている and てある are JLPT N5–N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.