があります tells you that a thing exists somewhere or that someone has something. The noun in front of が is the thing that exists, and あります is the polite form of the verb ある (“to exist” for non-living things). It is one of the first JLPT N5 patterns you learn, and you will use it every day: asking a shop if they have something, saying you have time, or telling someone there is a test on Friday.
があります is for things that do not move on their own: books, shops, trees, time, plans, and events. For people and animals, Japanese switches to がいます.
What does があります mean?
English uses two different verbs where Japanese uses one. があります covers both:
- there is / there are — 机の上に本があります。 (There is a book on the desk.)
- have — 時間があります。 (I have time.)
In Japanese, “I have time” is really “time exists (for me)”. That is why the thing you have takes が, not を. There is no separate verb like “to have” in these sentences — the possessor is simply understood from context, or marked with は: 私は車があります。 (I have a car.)
The noun before が must be something that is not alive, or at least does not move by itself: objects, buildings, plants, time, money, ideas, questions, and events. Plants count as non-living here — 庭に木があります is correct, even though a tree is alive.
How to form があります
The core pattern is simple: noun + が + あります. Most sentences also add a place marked with に at the front.
あります conjugates like any polite verb, and the plain form ある has an irregular negative:
- あります — there is (polite, present)
- ありません — there isn’t (polite negative)
- ありました — there was (polite past)
- ありませんでした — there wasn’t (polite past negative)
- ある / ない — plain present / plain negative (not あらない)
There is a second word order you need. When the thing is already the topic — you both know which book you mean — it moves to the front with は, and the place comes after it:
辞書はかばんの中にあります。 (The dictionary is in the bag.) Use the first order to introduce something new, and the second order to answer “where is it?”
When is があります used?
You will reach for があります in four everyday situations:
- Describing a place: what is in a room, on a street, or near the station. 駅の近くに銀行があります。
- Talking about what you have: time, money, a question, a car, a pen. 質問があります。 is the standard way to say “I have a question” in class.
- Announcing events and schedules: tests, meetings, parties, classes. 明日、試験があります。
- Asking in shops: 〜はありますか is the polite way to ask if a shop has something. 水はありますか。 (Do you have water?)
あります is polite (です/ます style). With friends you use ある: 時間ある? (Got time?) — ない for the negative.
があります example sentences
机の上に本があります。
There is a book on the desk.
今日は時間がありますか。
Do you have time today?
金曜日に日本語の試験があります。
There is a Japanese test on Friday.
すみません、質問があります。
Excuse me, I have a question.
冷蔵庫に牛乳がありません。
There's no milk in the fridge.
昨日、公園でお祭りがありました。
There was a festival in the park yesterday.
Look at the last sentence: the place is marked with で, not に. That is the one big exception in this pattern, and the next section explains why.
Nuance of があります
Things vs events. When あります describes an object, the place takes に — the object sits at that location. When あります describes an event (a festival, a meeting, a test, a concert), the place takes で, because the event happens there. Compare:
- 公園に池があります。 — There is a pond in the park. (object)
- 公園でコンサートがあります。 — There is a concert in the park. (event)
Having vs owning. 車があります states a fact about what you have. It does not sound boastful or formal — it is the neutral way to talk about possession. If you add は to the possessor (私は車があります), you are simply making “me” the topic.
が vs は after the thing. In a question or a negative, the thing often switches from が to は: 車はありません。 This は adds a light contrast (“a car, I don’t have”), which is natural in negatives. You will hear both; が is the neutral default when you introduce something.
Moving things: a parked taxi is あります, but a taxi with a driver waiting for you is often います, because it can move by itself. The dividing line is "can it move on its own?", not "is it technically alive?"
があります vs がいます
This is the pair every N5 learner mixes up. Both mean “there is”, but they split the world in two. See the full lesson on がいます.
The same split applies to “have”: 時間があります (I have time) but 兄弟がいます (I have siblings). Family members, friends, and pets always take います.
Common mistakes with があります
A cat is an animal, so it needs います. Only non-living things (and plants) take あります.
A party is an event that happens at a place, so the place takes で. に is for objects that sit somewhere.
English "have" takes a direct object, so learners reach for を. あります is an existence verb, and the thing that exists is marked with が.
The plain negative of ある is irregular: just ない.
Is があります on the JLPT?
Yes. があります is core JLPT N5 grammar and appears in every section of the test. Listening questions often describe a room and ask you to pick the matching picture, so you need to catch the place + に + thing + があります order quickly.
- Choose あります or います based on whether the noun is living
- Pick に for objects and で for events in particle questions
- Understand ありません / ない as "there isn't" or "don't have"
- Tell apart 本があります (introducing) and 本はあります (topic or contrast)
Practice questions for があります
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駅の近くにコンビニがあります。 — There is a convenience store near the station.
Show answer
今日はお金がない。 — I don't have any money today.
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明日、学校で会議があります。 — There is a meeting at school tomorrow.
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携帯はテーブルの上にあります。 — My phone is on the table.
Learning path for があります
Related grammar to review next
- がいます — the partner verb for people and animals; you need both to describe any room.
- に — marks the location where a thing exists in every があります sentence.
- で — replaces に when the thing that “exists” is an event like a party or test.
- は vs が — explains why the thing takes が when introduced and は when it is already known.
- をください — the natural next step after asking 〜はありますか in a shop.
Learn があります with Hane
Hane drills あります and います side by side with real nouns, so choosing the right verb becomes automatic. Start practicing with Hane.
FAQ about があります
What does があります (ga arimasu) mean in Japanese?
があります (ga arimasu) means “there is or have”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. English uses two different verbs where Japanese uses one.
How do you form があります (ga arimasu)?
The core pattern is simple: noun + が + あります. Most sentences also add a place marked with に at the front.
What is the difference between があります and がいます?
があります: non-living things. がいます: people and animals.
What is an example sentence with があります (ga arimasu)?
机の上に本があります。 — There is a book on the desk.