0067 – Japanese basics (N5-N3) – XにはYがいる: to have (living beings) (X niwa Y ga Verb)

 

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).