日本では、その年の4月1日時点で満6歳に達している児童が小学校に入学します。 I'm wondering why 達している? I've learned it acts like Present Continuous, but Google gives me Present Perfect. Why not plain suru or shita?
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Can you expand on your question? I'm not sure that I follow what you're asking. – ajsmart Aug 16 '20 at 21:08
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Related: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/3122/when-is-v%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B-the-continuation-of-action-and-when-is-it-the-continuation-of-state – APK Aug 17 '20 at 07:19
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This was my post, check it out, it might help: https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/78871/36729 – APK Aug 17 '20 at 07:20
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ている has two concepts, continous and perfect the first link would help you in differentiating and the second one will help you out at what times, perfect aspect can be used. Kindly go in order, check the first link first then come to my post in the second link, it would be enough for your understanding 😊 – APK Aug 17 '20 at 07:22
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Does this answer your question? When is Vている the continuation of action and when is it the continuation of state? – broccoli forest Aug 20 '20 at 14:07
1 Answers
It’s because they’re saying the children must be fully 6 years old. It is were する, then it would sound a bit off and feel like they’re saying the children “will be six years old”. If it were した then it would sound like you’re saying the children “had been six years old”. As it’s currently put 達している they’re implicitly saying the children are currently a full six years old.
達する is much like various other verbs: くる, 結婚する, etc in that these verbs are instantaneous: they’ve happened or they haven’t happened yet. There’s no instant between not being fully six years old and being fully six years old. Once you’ve hit the mark, so to speak, what you’re describing as the continuative is really more like the present perfecting.
So, for example,
結婚している。
doesn’t mean “i’m getting married [right now]”. Instead it means you’re already married (perhaps you’ve been now been married for 20 years).
東京に行っている
doesn’t mean “I’m on my way going to Tokyo”, it means “I’m in Tokyo”.

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