Breakdown of kono eiga wa ninki ga arimasu.
はwa
topic particle
映画eiga
movie
がga
subject particle
このkono
this
Questions & Answers about kono eiga wa ninki ga arimasu.
Why is 映画 followed by は rather than が here?
The particle は marks the topic of the sentence—what you’re talking about—whereas が marks the subject of a verb or existence. In この映画は人気があります, この映画 is the topic (we’re talking about this movie), and 人気 is what “exists” (the subject of ある) thanks to the が that follows it.
What role does the が play in 人気がある?
In the pattern X が ある, が marks X as the thing that “exists” or is “had.” It’s the same structure as お金がある (“there is money”/“I have money”). Here, 人気 is X, so 人気がある literally means “popularity exists.”
Why is ある used instead of いる?
Japanese uses ある for inanimate things or abstract concepts (like 人気, “popularity”). いる is only for animate beings (people and animals). Since popularity isn’t alive, we use ある.
Why do we say 人気がある instead of just 人気です?
You could say 人気です, but Japanese speakers usually prefer the “～がある” construction for qualities or feelings (人気, 興味 – interest, 自信 – confidence, etc.). It emphasizes that the quality “exists” or is “possessed,” making it sound more natural.
