ている vs てある: what's the difference?
Both can describe a state, but てある says someone did it on purpose. ている vs てある with transitive and intransitive verbs, examples and a drill.
Draft: written with AI help and not yet checked by a teacher. If something looks wrong, please report it.
The patterns
- ているAn action in progress, or the state after a changeOpen the lesson
- てあるA state someone has deliberately leftOpen the lesson
The difference
Both can describe a state, but てある tells you someone did it on purpose. ている with an intransitive verb describes the state as it is: 窓が開いている "the window is open" — nobody is implied. てある goes with a transitive verb and implies that someone did this deliberately, often as preparation: 窓が開けてある "the window has been opened (and left open)". ている with a transitive verb usually means an action in progress: 窓を開けている "someone is opening the window". With てある the object normally takes が, and the person who did it is not mentioned. With を/は and a transitive verb, ている can also mean "have done" (資料はもうコピーしている "I've already copied the handouts"), so look for が.
Side by side
開く (intransitive) + ている: just the state. 開ける (transitive) + てある: someone opened it.
つく / つける work the same way as 開く / 開ける.
Transitive verb: ている is the action happening now; てある is the result left behind.
てある often means "done in advance", ready for something.
Quick drill
Pick the word that fits the blank. You get the answer straight away.
壁に地図が貼って＿＿。
弟は今、部屋でゲームをして＿＿。
会議の資料がもうコピーして＿＿。
ドアが開いて＿＿。
机の上に花が飾って＿＿。
外は雨が降って＿＿。