Why である instead of でいる？


One solution that I heard is aru can be used for people you're not close to
and iru for people you are close to, so like a humble thing, but, I don't know
if it's actually said, and aru is for unliving things, but is this really into
depth, and I just didn't get into depth? By the way, this isn't a clone,
because all the things I have searched up are dumbed down into one meaning but
no explanation really... To stay, to keep, but why aru isn't?




As I said in the comment section, you must see the particle before ある/いる. "ある
is for inanimate things and いる is for animate things" is a rule that is
relevant when ある/いる is used as an existence verb. This rule has nothing to do
with the usage of **で** ある and **で** いる because these constructions do not
express the existence of something/someone in the first place.

Basically ～である is a stilted copula, i.e., a literary version of ～だ. ～でいる is a
copula in progressive aspect, i.e., "to stay/keep X" in English. See: [What is
the difference between でいる and である in this
example?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/66270/5010) / [What is the
meaning/grammar behind noun +
でいる?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/62732/5010)

Here is a very simple summary:

  * X **が** いる。  
There is X.  
(X is a person, animal, etc.)

  * X **が** ある。  
There is X.  
(X is an inanimate object.)

  * A **は** X **で** ある。  
A is X. (literary/formal)  
(X is a noun, a na-adjective or a no-adjective)

  * A **は** X **で** いる。  
A stays X. / A keeps being X.  
(X is a noun, a na-adjective or a no-adjective)

And simplest examples:

  * 猫 **が** いる。  
There is a cat.  
(猫 is an animal)

  * 本 **が** ある。  
There is a book.  
(本 is an inanimate object)

  * 私 **は** 学生 **で** ある。  
I am a student.  
(である is a stilted だ)

  * 私 **は** 元気 **で** いる。  
I am keeping healthy. / I'm doing well.




As I said in the comment section, you must see the particle before ある/いる. "ある
is for inanimate things and いる is for animate things" is a rule that is
relevant when ある/いる is used as an existence verb. This rule has nothing to do
with the usage of **で** ある and **で** いる because these constructions do not
express the existence of something/someone in the first place.

Basically ～である is a stilted copula, i.e., a literary version of ～だ. ～でいる is a
copula in progressive aspect, i.e., "to stay/keep X" in English. See: [What is
the difference between でいる and である in this
example?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/66270/5010) / [What is the
meaning/grammar behind noun +
でいる?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/62732/5010)

Here is a very simple summary:

  * X **が** いる。  
There is X.  
(X is a person, animal, etc.)

  * X **が** ある。  
There is X.  
(X is an inanimate object.)

  * A **は** X **で** ある。  
A is X. (literary/formal)  
(X is a noun, a na-adjective or a no-adjective)

  * A **は** X **で** いる。  
A stays X. / A keeps being X.  
(X is a noun, a na-adjective or a no-adjective)

And simplest examples:

  * 猫 **が** いる。  
There is a cat.  
(猫 is an animal)

  * 本 **が** ある。  
There is a book.  
(本 is an inanimate object)

  * 私 **は** 学生 **で** ある。  
I am a student.  
(である is a stilted だ)

  * 私 **は** 元気 **で** いる。  
I am keeping healthy. / I'm doing well.

