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It is difficult to rationslise the て-form of Japanese verbs in the mind of a speaker of an Indoeuropean language because there isn't something directly equivalent. However, it's been a few years now that this concept popped into my head that there is an implied meaning within the て-form as meaning "in the state/condition/form of". This to me makes sense with the te iru structure:

私はリンゴを食べている Literally: I exist in the state of eating an apple.

I just wanted to see if this thought goes in the correct direction in relation to the て-form.

LaectunEk
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  • If you are being very literal, which here you are, I would agree. The te-form could be seen as a state or condition. – spytastic Aug 14 '20 at 19:28
  • Related (See the 'older version' of question): https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/78891/where-do-dictionaries-imply-the-use-of-%e3%81%a6-as-present-perfect-past-and-ing – raruna Aug 14 '20 at 19:54

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