Do I use arimasu or motte imasu?

[nater]

I'm confused as to when I use these. Which do I use when I have something in my possesion. Can I use either? Thank you.

 

[zoomingjapan]

I'd say it depends what exactly you want to say or HOW you want to say it, e.g.:

We have a TV in our house. (arimasu)
I have a pink umbrella. (motteimasu)

And then there are several exceptions, e.g. for pets:

I have 2 cats. (katteimasu, 飼っています)

 

[dwcarless]

My rules of thumb are:

1) Don't use motsu for animate objects (like where you would use iru), so yeah -- not with people or animals.
a) Wastashi wa imouto ga imasu (I have a little sister)

2) Aru is more polite than motsu. Motsu implies ownership, and that can come across as bragging or being self-centered. So there are cases where you can use either, it then depends on how humble you wish to appear.
a) Watashi wa kuruma wo motteimasu (I posses a car -- I have a car)
b) Watashi wa kuruma ga arimasu (for me, a car exists -- I have a car)

3) Motsu is for physical objects only. Intangible things use aru, or other verbs like suru or the copula.
a) Watashi wa hima ga arimasu ( I have freetime)
b) Watashi wa asa gohan wo shiteimasu (I am having breakfast)
c) Watashi wa onaka ga itai n desu (I have a stomach ache)

 

[nater]

That helps! Thanks so much!

 

[Unreals]

From "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar":
There is another possessive expression, motte iru, which is the te-form of motsu 'hold' folled by the auxiliary verb iru. However, motte iru is used only when the possessor is animate and the possessed thing is inanimate. Thus, [1] is acceptable, but [2] and [3] are not.

[1] ジョンはいい車を持っている。
Jon wa ii kuruma o motte iru. (John has a good car.)
[2] *ジョンは妹を持っている 。
*Jon wa imouto o motte iru. (John has a younger sister.)
[3] *この車はクーラーを持っている。
*Kono kuruma wa kuuraa o motte iru. (This car has an air-conditioner.)

Groups and organizations of people such as political parties, countries, institutions and companies can also be possessors in sentences with motte iru, as in [4].

[4] この大学はいい図書館を持っている。
Kono daigaku wa ii toshokan o motte iru. (This university has a good library.)



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