Two different kanji used here to spell あります, I’m confused. Is this correct? What’s going on? Both are cards from the JLPT Tango N5 Anki deck.


Two different kanji used here to spell あります, I’m confused. Is this correct? What’s going on? Both are cards from the JLPT Tango N5 Anki deck.

8 comments
  1. 有る is used for when you have something, whereas 在る
    is for when you’re saying that a thing exists.

    Note: Most of the time I see it, it’s just been written ある…

  2. Both are correct but no kanji is the common form. They might have different nuances though.

    For kunyomi this is common since it’s a native Japanese word does not always match kanji one-to-one. A good example is はかる meaning to measure, but have different kanji based on what you measure, e.g. 量る for weigh 測る for length.

  3. To put it simply:
    在る is often used in lyrics and books,
    有る might be used casually.

    The difference is that unlike 有る, 在る kannot be used for something you have. For example: 願いが有ります can be used, as „I have a request” but お願いが在ります would simply mean „A request exists.”

    Though people usually just use hiragana for both.

  4. You found your first case of two kanji having the same spelling

    Kanji often have multiple spellings and sometimes they’re the same as other kanji’s that have similar meaning

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