Once you've learned the three main uses of ている (ongoing action, resultant state, habitual action), the next step is mastering its past tense and negative forms.
ていました — ている in the Past
Turn ています into its past form and you get ていました. It expresses three meanings, mirroring ています one-to-one:
1. Past Progressive Action
Something was happening at a point in the past.
- 兄は昨日三時にここでテレビを見ていました。 → My brother was watching TV here at 3pm yesterday.
- あの時、母は料理を作っていました。 → At that time, Mom was cooking.
- 昨日の夜、雨が降っていました。 → It was raining last night.
2. Past Resultant State
A resultant state existed at a point in the past.
- 電気がついていました。 → The light was on (at that time).
- 窓が開いていました。 → The window was open (at that time).
- 道が混んでいました。 → The road was congested (at that time).
The key here is that someone else turned on the light, but at the time you're describing, it was in the state of being "on."
3. Past Habit
Something done regularly over a past period.
- 毎日卵を二つ食べていました。 → I used to eat two eggs every day.
- 学生の時、毎朝走っていました。 → When I was a student, I used to run every morning.
- 子供の時、よく公園で遊んでいました。 → When I was a child, I often played in the park.
Just like ている expresses a present habit, adding a past time reference turns it into a past habit.
Three Uses Compared
| Usage | ています (Present) | ていました (Past) |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive | 今テレビを見ています → Watching TV now | 昨日テレビを見ていました → Was watching TV yesterday |
| Resultant state | 電気がついています → The light is on | 電気がついていました → The light was on |
| Habit | 毎日走っています → I run every day | 毎日走っていました → I used to run every day |
ていません — Negative: Not Yet Done
Verb て-form + いません → Haven't done... yet
The most common use of ていません is expressing that an action hasn't been completed yet. It frequently appears with まだ (still, yet).
Examples
- レポートはまだ書いていません。 → I haven't written the report yet.
- 晩ご飯はまだ食べていません。 → I haven't eaten dinner yet.
- まだ宿題をしていません。 → I haven't done my homework yet.
- まだ返事をしていません。 → I haven't replied yet.
Note: ていません vs ませんでした
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ていません | Haven't done yet (might still do it) | まだ食べていません → Haven't eaten yet |
| ませんでした | Didn't do (it's in the past) | 昨日食べませんでした → Didn't eat yesterday |
ていません implies the situation is ongoing — you might still do it. ませんでした means the opportunity has passed.
Compare these two:
- まだ宿題をしていません。 → I haven't done my homework yet. (Implies I still plan to)
- 昨日、宿題をしませんでした。 → I didn't do my homework yesterday. (It's over)
The まだ + ていません Set Phrase
In everyday conversation, when asked whether you've done something, the most natural response is:
— レポートは出しましたか。 → Have you submitted the report? — いいえ、まだ出していません。 → No, I haven't submitted it yet.
まだ〜ていません is a high-frequency set phrase — make sure to remember it.
Summary
- ていました: The past tense of ている — past progressive, past resultant state, past habit.
- ていません: The negative of ている — most commonly means "haven't done yet."
- まだ〜ていません is a fixed phrase for expressing "not yet done."
- Distinguish between ていません (haven't done yet) and ませんでした (didn't do).
Practice Questions
1. Translate: At 2pm yesterday afternoon, Mom was cleaning.
Show Answer
昨日午後二時に、母は掃除をしていました。
Past progressive action → ていました.
2. Answer using まだ〜ていません: Have you done your homework?
Show Answer
— 宿題は書きましたか。 — いいえ、まだ書いていません。
まだ + て-form + いません to express "not yet."
3. Choose the correct expression: "I used to drink milk every day as a child." A. 毎日牛乳を飲みました。 B. 毎日牛乳を飲んでいました。
Show Answer
B. 毎日牛乳を飲んでいました。
To express a past habit, use ていました. While A is grammatically possible, B better emphasizes that it was an ongoing habit during that period.