てある【～てある】

The structure ～てある is used to describe a state that exists as the result of someone's intentional action. It emphasizes that something has been deliberately done and the result remains. This is different from simply describing an ongoing action – the focus is on the resulting state and the purposefulness behind it.

Basic usage

～てある is used with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object). The object is typically marked with が rather than を, because the sentence focuses on the state of the object rather than the action itself.

Here, someone intentionally opened the window or arranged the plates, and that state still remains.

～てある vs. ～ている

A key distinction is between ～てある (transitive verb + ある) and ～ている (intransitive verb + いる) when describing resulting states.

• まど窓があけて開けてある。 – The window has been opened (someone opened it on purpose).
• まど窓がひらいている開いている。 – The window is open (neutral description of the state).

～てある carries the nuance that a person deliberately performed the action, while ～ている with an intransitive verb simply describes the current state without implying intent.

Nuance of preparation

～てある often implies that something has been done in advance or in preparation for something.

Particle usage: が vs. を

While が is the standard particle used with ～てある, in casual speech を is also sometimes used, especially when the speaker wants to emphasize the action rather than the resulting state.