Minna no Nihongo Lesson 30: Prepared and left as is — JLPT N4 Grammar | Rirekisho Builder

How to think about Lesson 30: this lesson is largely about preparation and the state that remains after somebody intentionally did something. The three expressions that learners most often confuse are Vています, Vてあります, and Vておきます. If you understand the difference between those three, most of Lesson 30 becomes much easier.

Lesson 30 at a glance

1. Vてあります

Something is in a state because somebody intentionally did an action.

2. Vておきます

Do something in advance, prepare for later, or deliberately leave something as it is.

3. まだVています

Say that an action or state is still continuing now.

4. それは～

Refer to the other person's idea, request, or situation and respond to it.

1. Vてあります — “has been done and is left that way”

N1 に N2 が Transitive Verb-て + あります

Vてあります describes the present state of something after a person intentionally performed an action. The person who did the action is normally not important or is not mentioned.

How to picture it: Do not translate Vてあります mechanically as “is doing.” Imagine that somebody prepared or arranged something earlier, and now you are looking at the result that remains.

Example 1 — A doll is displayed on the shelf

棚たなに人形にんぎょうが飾かざってあります。

Tana ni ningyō ga kazatte arimasu.

There is a doll displayed on the shelf. / A doll has been put on display on the shelf.

Example 2 — A mirror is hanging on the wall

壁かべに鏡かがみが掛かけてあります。

Kabe ni kagami ga kakete arimasu.

A mirror has been hung on the wall. The sentence suggests that somebody deliberately hung it there for a purpose.

Why does Vてあります use a transitive verb?

The grammar focuses on the result of an intentional action performed by somebody. Because of that, Lesson 30 normally uses a transitive verb.

Action	Dictionary form	て-form	Vてあります
display / decorate	飾かざる	飾かざって	飾かざってあります
hang something	掛かける	掛かけて	掛かけてあります
put / place	置おく	置おいて	置おいてあります
put away	しまう	しまって	しまってあります
write	書かく	書かいて	書かいてあります
stick / post	貼はる	貼はって	貼はってあります

Common mistake: do not simply attach あります to an intransitive state verb. For the Lesson 30 pattern, use the corresponding transitive verb because somebody intentionally caused the state.

N2 が vs N2 は

When introducing the object/state as new information, が is natural. When that object is already the topic, は can replace が.

棚たなに人形にんぎょうが飾かざってあります。

There is a doll displayed on the shelf.

人形にんぎょうは棚たなに飾かざってあります。

As for the doll, it has been displayed on the shelf.

The basic situation is the same. The difference is what the speaker chooses as the topic.

More real-life examples

入口いりぐちに案内あんないが貼はってあります。

An information notice has been posted at the entrance.

ホワイトボードに今日きょうの予定よていが書かいてあります。

Today's schedule is written on the whiteboard.

机つくえの上うえに会議かいぎの資料しりょうが置おいてあります。

The meeting documents have been placed on the desk.

ゴミ箱ばこは部屋へやの隅すみに置おいてあります。

The trash can has been placed in the corner of the room.

ホッチキスは机つくえの引ひき出だしにしまってあります。

The stapler has been put away in the desk drawer.

2. もう Vてあります — “it has already been prepared/done”

もう + Verb-て + あります

Adding もう emphasizes that the preparation or intentional action has already been completed, and its result is ready now.

プレゼントはもう買かってあります。

Purezento wa mō katte arimasu.

The presents have already been bought.

パーティーの時間じかんはもう知しらせてありますか。

Pātī no jikan wa mō shirasete arimasu ka.

Has everyone already been informed of the party time?

ホテルはもう予約よやくしてあります。

Hoteru wa mō yoyaku shite arimasu.

The hotel has already been reserved.

Difference from もうVました:
予約よやくしました。 simply reports that the reservation action was completed.
予約よやくしてあります。 stresses that the reservation was intentionally made and is now in place/ready.

3. Vておきます — do something in preparation / leave it that way

Verb-て + おきます

Vておきます has three closely related uses. The core image is: “Do something now and leave the result ready for what comes next.”

Think of おく as “put/leave.” With Vておきます, you perform an action and metaphorically “leave it done” for later.

Use 1 — Complete a necessary action before a deadline or event

Time/Event + までに / 前まえに + Vておきます

お父とうさんが来くる前まえに、部屋へやを掃除そうじしておいてください。

Otōsan ga kuru mae ni, heya o sōji shite oite kudasai.

Please clean the room before Dad comes.

会議かいぎが始はじまる前まえに、資料しりょうを印刷いんさつしておきます。

I'll print the documents before the meeting starts.

金曜日きんようびまでに、この仕事しごとを終おわらせておきます。

I'll make sure this work is finished by Friday.

Use 2 — Do something now in preparation for a later situation

授業じゅぎょうの前まえに予習よしゅうしておきます。

Jugyō no mae ni yoshū shite okimasu.

I'll prepare/study the lesson in advance before class.

旅行りょこうの前まえにホテルを予約よやくしておきます。

I'll reserve the hotel before the trip.

明日あしたは忙いそがしいですから、今日きょう買かい物ものをしておきます。

I'll do the shopping today because I'll be busy tomorrow.

Real-life feeling: Vておきます often corresponds to English expressions such as “I'll do it beforehand,” “I'll get it ready,” “I'll take care of it now,” or “I'll make sure it's done.”

Use 3 — Keep or leave the current state as it is

Sometimes there is no future preparation action. Instead, you deliberately leave something in its present state.

食事しょくじが終おわったら、お皿さらはそこに置おいておいてください。

Shokuji ga owattara, osara wa soko ni oite oite kudasai.

When you finish eating, please leave the plates there.

そのドアは開あけておいてください。

Please leave that door open.

このパソコンはまだ使つかいますから、電源でんげんを入いれたままにしておいてください。

I'm still going to use this computer, so please leave it switched on.

Useful forms of Vておきます

Form	Example	Meaning
Polite non-past	書かいておきます	I will write it down beforehand.
Plain non-past	書かいておく	I'll write it down beforehand.
Polite past	書かいておきました	I wrote it down in advance.
Plain past	書かいておいた	I wrote it down in advance.
Request	書かいておいてください	Please write it down beforehand.

4. Spoken contraction: ～ておきます → ～ときます

In everyday conversation, Japanese speakers very often shorten ～ておく and ～でおく.

Full form	Conversational form	Meaning
置おいておきます	置おいときます	I'll leave/put it there.
買かっておきます	買かっときます	I'll buy it beforehand.
読よんでおきます	読よんどきます	I'll read it beforehand.
置おいておいて	置おいといて	Leave it there / put it there beforehand.
読よんでおいて	読よんどいて	Read it beforehand.

Sound rule:
～ておく → ～とく
～でおく → ～どく

お皿さらはそこに置おいといてください。

Please leave the plates there.

Register: ～とく / ～どく is normal in casual speech, but use the full ～ておく / ～でおく form in formal writing, formal presentations, or when you want to speak carefully.

5. まだ Vています — “still doing / still in that state”

まだ + Verb-ています

まだ with an affirmative Vています sentence means that an action or state continues up to the present moment.

まだ雪ゆきが降ふっています。

Mada yuki ga futte imasu.

It is still snowing.

道具どうぐはまだ使つかっていますから、そのままにしておいてください。

Dōgu wa mada tsukatte imasu kara, sono mama ni shite oite kudasai.

I'm still using the tools, so please leave them as they are.

田中たなかさんはまだ電話でんわしています。

Mr./Ms. Tanaka is still on the phone.

Very important: まだ + affirmative vs negative

Pattern	Example	Meaning
まだ + Vています	まだ食たべています。	I am still eating.
まだ + Vていません	まだ食たべていません。	I haven't eaten yet.
もう + Vました	もう食たべました。	I already ate.

Do not mix these meanings:
まだ食たべています。 = still eating
まだ食たべていません。 = have not eaten yet

6. それは～ — referring to what the other person just said

You already know それ as “that.” In conversation, however, それ can refer not only to a physical object, but also to the other person's idea, proposal, request, news, plan, or situation.

Statement / idea / request → それは + response

Responding to an idea

A：ブロードウェイでミュージカルを見みたいです。

A: I want to see a musical on Broadway.

B：それはいいですね。

B: That sounds nice.

Softly refusing a difficult request

A：お金かねを貸かしてもらえませんか。

A: Could you lend me some money?

B：それはちょっと……。

B: That's a little difficult... / I'm afraid I can't.

Why does それはちょっと… mean “no”?
Literally, ちょっと means “a little.” But when it follows a request and the speaker trails off, the unspoken meaning is often “that would be a little difficult.” It softens the refusal instead of stating a direct いいえ.

Context matters: それはちょっと does not automatically mean “no” in every possible sentence. It functions as a soft refusal when the conversational context clearly involves a request, suggestion, or proposal that the speaker cannot accept.

More natural responses with それは

A：来月らいげつ、大阪おおさかへ引ひっ越こします。

B：それは大変たいへんですね。

A: I'm moving to Osaka next month. — B: That sounds like a lot of work.

A：試験しけんに合格ごうかくしました。

B：それはよかったですね。

A: I passed the exam. — B: That's great.

7. The most important comparison: Vています vs Vてあります vs Vておきます

These expressions can describe similar-looking situations, but the speaker's viewpoint is different.

Pattern	Main focus	Example
Vています	The current state itself	窓まどが閉しまっています。
Vてあります	A state intentionally created by someone	窓まどが閉しめてあります。
Vておきます	An action someone performs in preparation / leaves as is	窓まどを閉しめておきます。

窓まどが閉しまっています。

“The window is closed.” You are simply describing its current condition. 閉しまる is intransitive.

窓まどが閉しめてあります。

“The window has been closed [intentionally].” Someone closed it, perhaps because the air conditioner is on. 閉しめる is transitive.

窓まどを閉しめておきます。

“I'll close the window in advance / I'll leave it closed.” This sentence describes the action that a person will perform.

Another comparison with a door

ドアが開あいています。

The door is open. state

ドアが開あけてあります。

The door has intentionally been left open. intentional result

ドアを開あけておきます。

I'll open/leave the door open for later. preparation

8. Real-life mini conversations

At the office before a meeting

A：会議室かいぎしつの準備じゅんびはできましたか。

A: Is the meeting room ready?

B：はい。資料しりょうは机つくえの上うえに置おいてあります。飲のみ物ものも用意よういしてあります。

B: Yes. The documents have been placed on the desks, and the drinks have also been prepared.

Preparing for a trip

A：旅行りょこうの前まえに何なにをしておきますか。

A: What will you do before the trip?

B：ホテルを予約よやくしておきます。それから、必要ひつようなものを買かっておきます。

B: I'll reserve a hotel, and then I'll buy the things I need beforehand.

At home

A：この箱はこ、片付かたづけてもいい？

A: Can I put this box away?

B：まだ使つかっているから、そこに置おいておいて。

B: I'm still using it, so leave it there.

9. Common mistakes

Mistake 1: confusing an intransitive state with an intentional result
窓まどが閉しまっています。 = The window is closed.
窓まどが閉しめてあります。 = The window has intentionally been closed.

Mistake 2: using Vてあります when talking about what you are going to do
If you mean “I will prepare/do it beforehand,” use Vておきます.
ホテルを予約よやくしておきます。 = I will reserve the hotel in advance.

Mistake 3: forgetting that まだ changes meaning with a negative predicate
まだしています。 = still doing it.
まだしていません。 = have not done it yet.

Mistake 4: treating ～ときます as a completely different grammar pattern
買かっときます is simply a conversational contraction of 買かっておきます.

10. Quick cheat sheet

Grammar	Core meaning	Example
Vてあります	An intentional action has been done and its result remains.	予定よていが書かいてあります。
もうVてあります	The preparation is already completed.	ホテルはもう予約よやくしてあります。
Vておきます	Do something in advance / leave it in a useful state.	資料しりょうを読よんでおきます。
Vときます / Vどきます	Conversational contraction of Vておきます / Vでおきます.	読よんどきます。
まだVています	Still doing / still continuing.	まだ雨あめが降ふっています。
それは～	Refer back to the other person's idea/request/situation.	それはいいですね。

11. Practice

A. Choose Vています, Vてあります, or Vておきます

Someone intentionally put the meeting schedule on the whiteboard, and it is there now.
ホワイトボードに予定よていが書かいて（　　　　）。
You will reserve a hotel before traveling.
旅行りょこうの前まえにホテルを予約よやくして（　　　　）。
The window is simply closed right now.
窓まどが閉しまって（　　　　）。

あります → 書かいてあります
おきます → 予約よやくしておきます
います → 閉しまっています

B. Translate into Japanese

The documents have been placed on the desk.
I will buy the tickets beforehand.
It is still raining.
Please leave the door open.
That sounds nice.

Sample answers — other natural wordings are also correct.

机つくえの上うえに資料しりょうが置おいてあります。
チケットを買かっておきます。
まだ雨あめが降ふっています。
ドアを開あけておいてください。
それはいいですね。

C. Change to the casual ～とく / ～どく form

買かっておきます → ?
読よんでおきます → ?
置おいておいてください → ?

買かっときます
読よんどきます
置おいといてください

12. Final memory rule

Vています → 「今いま、そういう状態じょうたいです」

Focus: what the current state is.

Vてあります → 「だれかがして、その結果けっかが残のこっています」

Focus: an intentionally created result remains.

Vておきます → 「後あとのために、今いましておきます」

Focus: do something now for later, or deliberately leave it as it is.

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