彼は兄弟がいます actually 彼には兄弟がいます with に omitted

Question

I read this Is it correct to say 私は二人のお兄さんがいる?

Yoichi Oishi: With the expression – “私は二人のおにいさんがいる,” your friend is right. “私は兄がいる” sounds somewhat awkward, and “私には兄がいる” sounds perfect.

and it says it's unnatural if you don't use には. But a lot of native speakers corrected my incorrect sentence of

彼に兄弟がいます。

to

①彼は兄弟がいます

Is there actually a に that is omitted in the corrected sentence so it is actually

②彼(に)は兄弟がいます

Native speaker told me

Either is natural. Strictly, ② is grammatically correct, I think, but ① is also commonly used. 🙂

So am I right to assume that ① is just used in casual settings?

Answer 1

From goo辞書,

① 時・場所・対象、比較の基準など、格助詞「に」で示されるものに、特にとりたてる気持ちを表す係助詞「は」の意味が加えられる。

And, I prepare

-「僕(に/には/は)兄弟がいません、でも彼(に/には/は)二人兄弟がいます。」 : "I do not have any brothers, but he has two brothers."

This sentence basically comparing one's siblings status. I think all of に, には and は are interchangeable because it can imply comparison and also topic.

I mean repeating 「に」 twice sounds the sentence talks "comparison" and repeating 「は」 twice sounds the sentence talks "topic" and using 「には」 twice sounds the sentence talks topicalizing comparison. ( I think 僕は兄弟がいません、でも彼に二人兄弟がいます。is awkward. So, probably not repeating and mixing each (に/には/は) in the sentence makes it awkward without knowing the context. )

But, saying「彼に兄弟がいます」as stand-alone is a bit awkward since it should be used in a comparative structure.

Probably「彼は兄弟がいます」is bit abrupt to the native speaker's ear if you do not know what you are taking about.

I agree with 「彼には兄弟がいます」is natural since it can be start-point of comparison and topic.

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We learn No1 as「早口{はやくち}言葉{ことば}」: "Tongue-twister". That's why I guess using「には」 sound natural.

1. 「庭{にわ}には二羽{にわ}鶏{にわとり}がいる。」: "There are two chickens in the backyard."

2. 「庭{にわ}に二羽{にわ}鶏{にわとり}がいる。」: "Almost same as above."

3. 「庭{にわ}は二羽{にわ}鶏{にわとり}がいる。」: "Awkward without context, i.e why you are taking about the existence of two chickens."