いる・居るiru[0]heiban (flat)

1. ichidan verb, intransitive verbto be (of animate objects); to exist
   民主主義みんしゅしゅぎに対たいする信頼しんらいをなくした者ものもいる。↗

   Some have lost faith in democracy.
2. ichidan verb, intransitive verbto stay
   映画えいがに行いくのと家いえにいるの、どっちがいい？↗

   Which would you rather do, go to the cinema or stay at home?
3. auxiliary verb, ichidan verbto be ...-ingafter the -te form of a verb; indicates continuing action
4. auxiliary verb, ichidan verbto have ...-ed; to be ...-edafter the -te form of a verb; indicates continuing state
   すっかり食たべ終おわってはいない。↗

   I haven't quite finished eating.

• Synonym居らっしゃるいらっしゃるFormalHonorific for 「いる」, for a superior or guest being somewhere, as in 「先生はいらっしゃいますか」; it also covers coming and going.
• Synonym存在そんざいNeutralRefers broadly to the existence of people or things, with an abstract flavor, as in 「神の存在」; for asking whether someone is around, everyday speech uses 「いる」.
• Synonym生きるいきるNeutralMeans being alive, surviving, or making a living, with the focus on life continuing; 「いる」 says someone is somewhere and forms 「〜ている」 for ongoing or stative senses.
• Synonym滞在たいざいNeutralStaying away from home for a period, as in 「京都に三日滞在する」— travel, business trips, study abroad; 「いる」 is not restricted by time or place.
• Synonym生存せいぞんWrittenWritten word for staying alive or surviving, often in contexts like accidents or competition, as in 「生存者」; more objective than 「生きる」.
• Synonym存するそんするWrittenWritten word for existing or remaining; also used for where an issue lies, as in 「問題はここに存する」; not limited to living things.
• Synonym在世ざいせいWrittenRefers to a person being alive in this world, usually as 「在世中」, as in 「父の在世中」; used only of people while they live.
• SynonymステイNeutralLoanword mostly for boarding or a short stay, often as part of compounds like 「ホームステイ」.
• Related生息せいそくWrittenWritten word for plants and animals inhabiting or living in a place, as in 「この川に生息する魚」.
• Related宿るやどるWrittenLiterary word for lodging temporarily or for something abstract dwelling within, as in 「魂が宿る」 and 「露が宿る」.
• Related住するじゅうするWrittenArchaic written word for residing or staying, also a Buddhist term; in everyday speech say 「住む」 or 「いる」.
• RelatedおいでになるFormalHonorific for 「いる」, 「来る」 and 「行く」; slightly more formal than 「いらっしゃる」, used for superiors and guests.
• Antonym去るさるNeutralOpposite of 「いる」 in its sense of staying: to leave a place, as in 「町を去る」.
• Antonym不在ふざいNeutralSomeone being absent or not at home, as in 「部長は不在です」; in business it often replaces 「いない」, the opposite of 「いる」.

Default to 「いる」 for a person or animal being somewhere; use 「いらっしゃる」 (or 「お出でになる」) for superiors and guests. For staying away from home say 「滞在」, for animals and plants 「生息」, for abstract existence 「存在」; 「不在」 and 「去る」 are the opposites.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとや動物どうぶつがそこにある、または存在そんざいする
2. ある場所ばしょにしばらくとどまる
3. 動うごきや状態じょうたいが続つづいていることを表あらわす
4. 動作どうさが完了かんりょうした状態じょうたいにあることを表あらわす