“te aru” Meaning & Usage — A State Someone Set Up on Purpose [JLPT N4]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
“The window has been (deliberately) opened” vs “is open” — a purposeful resulting state, with examples. (JLPT N4)
「黒板に宿題が書いてある」 — 「〜てある」, a state someone deliberately made
You walk into the classroom and see 「黒板に明日の宿題が書いてある」 (tomorrow's homework is written on the board) — this 「てある」 tells you: someone (deliberately) wrote the homework there, and the result remains. 「(transitive て-form) ＋ ある」 means “(someone did it on purpose, and as a result) it's ~,” stressing “human, intentional.” This guide covers 「てある」's attachment, that “someone did it on purpose” feel, and how it differs from 「ている」.
Core: a state left by a human, intentional action
「てある」 = “(someone did it on purpose, so) it's ~,” stressing human intent:
- Transitive て-form ＋ ある: 書く→書いてある ((someone has) written), 置く→置いてある ((someone has) placed).
- Point: someone did it for a purpose, and the state remains (not stressing who, but “it's already handled, prepared”).
Unlike 「ている」 (a plain state, or an intransitive's natural result), 「てある」 carries “someone did it deliberately.”
How to Connect
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| transitive て-form ＋ ある | intentional resultant state | 書いてある |
| (preparation) | done for a purpose | 準備してある （it's been prepared in advance） |
| particle | object often が | 窓が開けてある （the window has been left open by someone） |
例句與情境
- 黒板に明日の宿題が書いてある。(Tomorrow's homework is written on the board.) — someone wrote it
- 部屋の窓が開けてある。(The room's window is (deliberately) open.) — someone opened it
- 明日のために食材が買ってある。(For tomorrow, the ingredients are (already) bought.) — preparation
- 予約は、もうしてあるから大丈夫。(The reservation's already made, so we're fine.) — handled
- テーブルに料理が並べてある。(Dishes are laid out on the table.) — someone laid them
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① 「てある」 only attaches to transitive verbs. 書く, 開ける, 置く (transitive) → 書いてある, 開けてある. Intransitives can't (✗ 開くてある — 開く is intransitive, use 「開いている」). てある always pairs with “someone's action” (a transitive verb).
② 「てある」 vs 「ている」. 窓が開けてある (transitive, deliberately open, stressing human intent); 窓が開いている (intransitive, the state of being open, not asking who). For the same “window is open,” てある implies “someone opened it for a purpose,” ている just describes the state.
③ The particle often shifts from を to が. Originally 「宿題を書く」, but with てある it's often が — 宿題が書いてある (the homework is written). Because the focus shifts from “the action” to “the resulting state,” the object takes が.
🔄 Nuance & comparison: てある／ている／ておく
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜てある | a state someone made on purpose (transitive) | 書いてある |
| 〜ている | action in progress／an intransitive's state | 開いている |
| 〜ておく | done in advance, for the future | 書いておく |
💡 Quick takeaway
The essence of 「てある」 is “someone did it on purpose, and the result remains” — see 「書いてある (written), 置いてある (placed), 予約してある (booked)」 and you know “someone set this up (for a purpose).” Two points: ① it only takes transitive verbs (書く・置く・開ける, not intransitives); ② the difference from 「ている」 — てある stresses human intent (窓が開けてある = someone opened it), ている just describes the state (窓が開いている = it's open). It often echoes 「ておく (do in advance)」: first 「予約しておく (book ahead)」, and then it's 「予約してある (the booked state)」. For “it's already prepared, handled,” てある is very handy.
❓ Common questions
Q: How do I tell 「てある」 from 「ている」?
By transitive vs intransitive, and whether there's “human intent.” 「てある」 = transitive ＋ ある, stressing someone did it on purpose, and it remains (窓が開けてある = the window is (deliberately) open, implying “someone opened it for ventilation etc.”). 「ている」 with an intransitive is a plain state (窓が開いている = the window is open, just the state, not asking who). For the same “window is open,” てある has a “human” flavor, ている doesn't. Test: a transitive ＋ てある = someone set it up on purpose.
Q: Why does 「宿題を書く」 become 「宿題が書いてある」, with を shifting to が?
Because the focus changes. 「宿題を書く」 focuses on “the action (writing homework),” marking the object with を. 「宿題が書いてある」 focuses on “the resulting state (the homework is written),” where the homework becomes “the subject presenting this state,” taking が. This is characteristic of 「てある」: shifting from “doing the action” to “describing the state the action left,” so the object's を often becomes が (宿題が書いてある, 料理が並べてある).
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「黒板に宿題が___。」(the homework is written on the board — someone wrote it)
(A) 書いている (B) 書いてある (C) 書いておく (D) 書いてしまった
Q2. 「〜てある」 only attaches to what kind of verb?
(A) intransitive (B) transitive (C) either (D) irregular
Q3. What's the difference between 「窓が開いている」 and 「窓が開けてある」?
(A) exactly the same
(B) 開いている: a natural state; 開けてある: someone deliberately left it open
(C) 開いている: past; 開けてある: present
(D) 開けてある is more polite
Q4. 「明日のために食材が___。」(the ingredients have been bought for tomorrow)
(A) 買っておいた (B) 買ってある (C) 買っている (D) 買おう
Q5. 「大丈夫、もう手配し___。」(no problem, it's already arranged)
(A) てしまいました (B) てあります (C) ています (D) ておきます
Answer Key
1. (B) 書いてある ── 宿題が書いてある = the homework has been written (someone wrote it, and that state exists) → てある.
2. (B) transitive ── 〜てある attaches to transitive verbs (someone's deliberate action).
3. (B) ── 開いている = a natural state; 開けてある = someone deliberately left it open.
4. (B) 買ってある ── 食材が買ってある = the ingredients have been bought (deliberate, with the state remaining).
5. (B) てあります ── 手配してあります = it's already been arranged (a prepared state).