Imasu , Arimasu ..

[Noob]

This is troubling me. I know that imasu is used with living things, and arimasu with inanimate objects. I just don't know what they really mean lol. Everything that i see translated, and all that i know gives me no clue.
For example:

Itikimasu (位置来ます）　"i'm leaving but i'll be back" rough translation.

Itadakimasu (いただきます）　”thanks for the food, i'm eating now" rough translation.

arigatou gosaimasu (ありがとう誤差います) "thank you very much"

Here are 3 examples of "imasu" where i can't see a correlation. Don't even get me started on arimasu.

Granted, i'm new at this, but what is imasu supposed to do?

Thanks in advance.

[Xuande]

Well, arimasu and imasu are both verbs that have been conjugated. Their base forms are iru and aru. You are right when you say that iru is used for living things and aru is used for nonliving things. They are both used in about the same way and a basic definition of them would be "there is..." An example would be something like "asoko ni hito ga imasu," meaning there is a person over there and for aru you could say something like, "kinyoubi ni tesuto ga arimasu," meaning there will be a test on friday. I hope that helps but if not then hopefully someone else can explain it better than I have.

[Yudan Taiteki]

Noob wrote:
Itikimasu (位置来ます）　"i'm leaving but i'll be back" rough translation.

Itadakimasu (いただきます）　”thanks for the food, i'm eating now" rough translation.

arigatou gosaimasu (ありがとう誤差います) "thank you very much"

Here are 3 examples of "imasu" where i can't see a correlation.

None of these are examples of the word "imasu", which is probably where your confusion is coming from.

(BTW, it's "ittekimasu" and "gozaimasu", which is why you weren't getting the correct kanji/kana up there.)

[Noob]

I have so much to learn.

So, "imasu" in a word is a different meaning than imasu alone?

[Yudan Taiteki]

Yes...I think you're making this more complicated than it is. It would be like someone thinking that "cartoon", "scare", and "carol" all have something to do with automobiles because "car" is in all of them.

The base word is "iru", a verb meaning "to exist". "imasu" is the polite form of that verb (the "masu" ending indicates the politeness).

"itte kimasu" ends with "kimasu", not "imasu" ("ki" and "i" are separate syllables).

"itadakimasu" is a politer form of "itadaku" (once again, the -masu indicating the politeness)

"gozaimasu" is once again a separate word. In this case actually the "imasu" part does come from the verb "imasu" (to exist) but that's just etymology and won't aid your understanding of the phrase at all.

I would stay away from trying to break down and understand idiomatic language like "arigatou gozaimasu" and "itte kimasu" -- just learn them as set phrases and eventually you will be able to analyze their grammar.

[Noob]

Understood. Thanks yudan-san, Xuande-san.

[richvh]

Yudan Taiteki wrote:
"gozaimasu" is once again a separate word. In this case actually the "imasu" part does come from the verb "imasu" (to exist) but that's just etymology and won't aid your understanding of the phrase at all.

Huh? I wasn't aware that the polite form of gozaru (or issharu, ossharu, nasaru, or the other special polite -aru verb that I'm blanking on) had anything to do with iru.

[Yudan Taiteki]

You're right. Gozaru is literally "goza" (御座) + "aru", contracted to "gozaru". The "gozaimasu" form is an elision of "gozarimasu" (which can still be heard in jidai-geki).

[Noob]

I'm glad you guys discuss these things internally. It is really helpful.

[Chris Hart]

Noob wrote:
I'm glad you guys discuss these things internally. It is really helpful.

You will find that routinely around here. Frequently after the OP thanks the other comentators for their responses, deeper discussions will develop, or the thread will rapidly drift.