Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "います" vs "うる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
います
います (imasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
うる
うる (uru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both います and うる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
います (います (imasu)) represents "to be, to exist (animate objects)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of いる. Used for the existence of animate objects.
On the other hand, うる (うる (uru)) translates to "to sell" (Level: N5) and is used for Transitive verb meaning 'to sell'. Used for commercial transactions. The opposite is 買う. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "います"
部屋に猫がいます。
There is a cat in the room.
Bilingual Sentence for "うる"
この店は色々なパンを売っています。
This shop sells various kinds of bread.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "部屋に猫が ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "There is a cat in the room.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "います" fits here because it represents "to be, to exist (animate objects)" in the context: "There is a cat in the room.".