Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "売ります" vs "います"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
売ります
うります (urimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
います
います (imasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 売ります and います are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
売ります (うります (urimasu)) represents "to sell" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 売る.
On the other hand, います (います (imasu)) translates to "to be, to exist (animate objects)" (Level: N5) and is used for Polite form of いる. Used for the existence of animate objects. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "売ります"
この店は古い本を売っています。
This store sells old books.
Bilingual Sentence for "います"
部屋に猫がいます。
There is a cat in the room.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この店は古い本を売っています。" (Meaning: "This store sells old books.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "売ります" fits here because it represents "to sell" in the context: "This store sells old books.".