aspect N4 common casualpolitewritten
てある — (something) has been done and remains so
てある
Builds on て形
Meaning
- has been ~ed (and stays that way) — a state left behind by someone's deliberate action
Key sentence
壁に絵が掛けてある。
A picture has been hung on the wall.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (transitive, て-form) | V-て + ある | 開ける → 開けてある |
Examples
テーブルに料理が並べてある。
The dishes have been laid out on the table.
ドアにメモが貼ってある。
A note has been stuck on the door.
旅行のために切符が買ってある。
The tickets have been bought for the trip (and are ready).
When you can't use it
- Only transitive verbs take てある. The original direct object is marked with が (or は), not を: 窓を開ける → 窓が開けてある, never 窓を開けてある.
Easily confused with
〜ている ている with an intransitive verb reports a state that simply came about — 窓が開いている (the window is open). てある reports a state someone set up on purpose — 窓が開けてある (the window has been opened, deliberately, for a reason). 〜ておく ておく is the act of preparing (窓を開けておく — I'll open the window in advance). てある is the resulting state of that act seen afterward (窓が開けてある — the window has been opened). Same prep mindset, different angle: doing vs. done.
See てある in real sentences
Jengo shows てある the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.