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Question to Teacher: What's the difference between SHITEIMASU and SHITEMASU?
Course 3 Lesson 5: Family Vacation (Grammar)

Vorteks

Post Date: 2004-01-19 14:59:38

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2003 May 22

Questions: 13
Comments: 45

What's the difference between shitemasu and shiteimasu, or shiteru/shiteiru? It seems like on YesJapan I mostly just see "ru" after the te-form, but in other books I see "iru" after the te form. Is it a politeness thing?

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JFZ Teacher (Kanako)

Post Date: 2004-01-19 15:24:23

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2003 Mar 03

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1) わたしはいま、べんきょうしています。(WATASHI WA IMA, BENKYOU SHITEIMASU) = I am studying now.

2) わたしはいま、べんきょうしてます。(WATASHI WA IMA, BENKYOU SHITEMASU) = I am studying now.

Both sentences have the same meaning.
The first sentence would be the style that you learn at school. However, Japanese people often omit the い (i) in speaking as in #2. It sounds more conversational.

Keep up the good work!

Kanako @ YesJapan

Erk

Post Date: 2007-04-08 13:46:42

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2006 May 15

Questions: 2
Comments: 5

more confusion
I've heard that the TEIRU form doesn't exactly translate into (verb)ing.

I heard its more like 'in the state of (verb).' This has always confused me.

So would:

わたしはいま、べんきょうしてます

Actually be how I think of 'I am studying' even though its grammatically incorrect, and

わたしはいま、べんきょうしています

be something like 'I am currently in the study state' ... ?

Erik

Jamie85

Post Date: 2007-04-08 15:15:21

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2003 Jan 06

Questions: 10
Comments: 147

They are the same meaning

Luke101018

Post Date: 2007-04-08 16:28:36

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2004 Oct 01

Questions: 20
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[quote:4d2a18c7a3="Jamie85"]They are the same meaning[/quote:4d2a18c7a3]

Yea, that's what I was thinking. In English they are said in different ways but they have the same meaning.