How can I say in Japanese that I have a boyfriend?
NIWA
When you want to say in Japanese that you have a certain relationship,
XにはYがいます
x niwa Y ga imasu
X has Y
in which,
Y:
- family:
- 家族: kazoku: family
- 父: chichi: father
- 母: haha: mother
- 姉: ane: elder sister
- 兄: ani: elder brother
- 妹: imouto: yonger sister
- 弟: yonger brother
- 妻: tsuma: wife
- 夫: otto: husband
- lover:
- 恋人: koibito: lover
- 彼女: kanojo: girlfriend
- 彼氏: kareshi: boyfriend
- friend:
- 友だち: tomodachi: friend
See also: Family
So for example,
わたしには妻がいます。
watashi niwa tsuma ga i masu.
I have a wife.
トムさんには恋人がいません。
Tomu san niwa koibito ga i masu.
Tom doesn’t have a lover
リーさんには日本人の友だちがいます。
Rii san niwa nihonjin no tomodachi ga i masu.
Lee has a Japanese friend.
Can we say just は instead of には?
In a colloquial Japanese, sometimes we hear
わたしは妻がいます。
watashi wa tsuma ga i masu.
I have a wife.
トムさんは恋人がいません。
Tomu san wa koibito ga i masu.
Tom has no lover.
リーさんは日本人の友だちがいます。
Rii san wa nihonjin no tomodachi ga i masu.
Lee has a Japanese friend.
But this case is rather limited.
For example, when we use the particle は to mean the comparison with other people (which we will see later), we may use it.
So, in a normal case, it’s better to use には(niwa) instead of は(wa) when saying to have Y (living beings).
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