Practice JLPTHow 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.
ている teiru
Progressive/State
Be ~ing; have done (something) | Someone or something is doing something he or it started some time ago, or is in a state created by an action he or it took some time ago.
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この林檎は腐っている。
This apple is rotten.
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佐々木さんは酒を飲んでいる・います。
Mr. Sasaki is drinking sake.
てある tearu
Has been done
Have been done; has been done; be done | Something has been done to something and the resultant state of that action remains.
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それはもうジョンに話してある・あります。
It's been told to John already.
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窓が開けてある。
The window has been open/is open.
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 — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.