Possesing stuff in Japan

[koekoeka]

Hi guys!

I'm here with a little language problem. It's not really hard for you but it is for me.

What is the verb for having stuff? I was always thinking:

ある and いる

But it's not

Greetings,

Koekoeka

[duo797]

Well I don't know the full extent of saying 'to have' in japanese, but it's my understanding that you can use ある and (I think) いる to say you have something.
For example:
チケットがある　Can mean either something like 'A ticket exists' or 'I have a ticket'.

You can use いる in the same way.
鳥がにわいる。　(I didn't remember the kanji for the bird counter so I didn't use it). So you could read this 'There are two birds' or (assuming that we dropped something like 僕（ぼく）は) 'I have two birds'.

So it's a matter of context (like a lot of language is, I suppose), but you can use ある and いる to say that someone 'has' something.

[MMM]

持つ is the verb for to hold or to possess.

ペンを持っている?　Do you have a pen?

[duo797]

Is the difference between ある・いる and 持つ in the physical 'having' of the object? Does one mean like 'I have a house' while the other is something like 'I have twenty dollars (on me right now) or am I grasping at nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm not completely off by saying that ある and いる can also mean 'to have'.

[koekoeka]

Ahh, so I was right! Thanks guys!

[filiadragongurl]

Originally Posted by duo797

Is the difference between ある・いる and 持つ in the physical 'having' of the object? Does one mean like 'I have a house' while the other is something like 'I have twenty dollars (on me right now) or am I grasping at nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm not completely off by saying that ある and いる can also mean 'to have'.

aru is the existence of an object.

iru is the existence of a living thing.

however, combining iru with other verbs like MMM's example of "pen wo motte iru?", it's a completely different grammar structure which is similar to what you're thinking with having $20 on you... it's like... a state of being. It's a complicated subject, so it takes a lot of practice and a lot of explaination ^_^;

[MMM]

duo797 you were right, too.

I could say

ペンを持っている。 I have a pen.

But if I were asking someone if they have a pen, I would probably say

ペン、ある？Do you have a pen? [or more accurately, Is there a pen?] though there is nothing wrong with ペンを持っている？

I can say 母がいる。 I have a mother, but I cannot say 母を持っている, unless I am physically holding her at the moment.

[chryuop]

The video in MMM signature+the size of his writing makes understand what he is thinking about while asnwering the question

Since you are up to it...care to say also that "having a baby" is neither いる nor 持っている? Before they hear a mother say "赤ちゃんを持っている" and they call 911 because they think someone is giving birth

[MMM]

Originally Posted by chryuop

The video in MMM signature+the size of his writing makes understand what he is thinking about while asnwering the question

Oh no, I always enlarge the Japanese characters...it makes it easier for new readers to see the characters.

But the GIF in my signature is representative of my feelings sometimes.

[chryuop]

Mmmさん、誰か同じな質問をすると言っておく。