How do I write the verb "To be"? 居る or いる？


Do native Japanese speakers write 居る or いる？




When it's used as an ordinary verb ("to be; to exist; there is"), いる is mostly
written in hiragana. When it's used [as a subsidiary
verb](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3122/5010) ("is ～ing; have ～ed"),
いる is almost always written in hiragana. Today, using 居る would look old-
fashioned and stiff. Novels 100 years ago tended to use 居る a lot. Unless you
are interested in creative writing, you don't have to use 居る at all.

