あります can be used to indicate that something “is” or “exists” at a certain location. For example, あそこ　に　びょういん　が　あります = There’s a hospital over there. (あそこ = over there. に = ni particle. びょういん = hospital. が = ga particle. あります = there is.) There are a couple of things to note here. The が particle was used instead of は. So the general formula you use to say, “there are/there is” something is: place + が + あります. Secondly, あります can only be used for non livng things like a hospital. You can’t use あります for people. For people you use います.

Here’s a sentence using います: あそこ　に　いしゃ　が　います = There is a doctor over there. (あそこ = over there. に = ni particle. いしゃ = doctor. が = ga particle. います = there is.) Notice that even when we’re using います, the same general forumla is used: person + が + います. Generally あります is used for non living or inanimate things like places, objects and abstract concepts like freedom,  while います is used for living things like people and animals. います and あります can also be used to indicate that someone owns something or that someone has something.

In this question, “にもつ　が　ありますか” someone may be asking, “[Do you] have [your] luggage?”. (にもつ = luggage.　が = ga particle.　あります = have. か = question marking particle.) You can also use this with more intangible thinks like dreams: “ゆめ　が　あります” = I have a dream. (ゆめ = dream.　が = ga particle.　あります = have.) You can also indicate that you don’t have something by using ありません in place of あります. One of the errors some people make is to use います/あります to transcribe the meaning “is” in Japanese. Remember from the beginning of this blog we talked about how です can mean “is” as well.

It’s correct to say, “せんせい　は　にほんじんです” or The teacher is a Japanese person. (せんせい = teacher.　は = wa particle.　にほんじん = Japanese person. です = is.) You can’t use います here because you technically can’t “own” or “have Japanese ethnicity” but you can certaintly “be” of Japanese descent. Like in the sentence above, です is used to describe a characteristic of a person or thing. However, あります and います is used to describe the existence or the location of a person or thing.