How to say 'Exist' in Japanese | 居る

Wondering how to say 'Exist' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Exist is 'Iru', written as 居る in Japanese.'Exist' in hiragana is いる.

word

居る

Meaning

Exist

Reading

いる

iru

Kanji

居Reside, Be

Explanation

The Japanese verb '居る (いる)' means 'to exist' or 'to be present' and is primarily used for living things, such as people or animals. It is often used to indicate the presence or existence of someone or something animate. For example: There is a cat here「ここに猫が居る」(ここにねこがいる). My friend is at home「友達が家に居る」(ともだちがいえにいる). Note that '居る' is written in hiragana as 'いる' in modern usage, and it is distinct from 'ある', which is used for inanimate objects. This verb is also commonly used in the progressive tense to indicate ongoing actions, such as '食べている (たべている)' (is eating).

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is an ichidan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 居る

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

居

Meaning

Reside, Be

Hiragana in the Word 居る

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

る

Reading

Words Related to 居る Through the Kanji 居

These 6 Words contain the Kanji 居 as well.

word

住居

Meaning

Residence

word

居住

Meaning

Residence

word

芝居

Meaning

Play, Act

word

居眠り

Meaning

Doze

word

居間

Meaning

Living room

word

同居

Meaning

Cohabitation

Learn the Word 居る

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Iru' (居る) mean?

'Iru' means 'Exist' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.