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JLPT N4Grammar Patterns

ことがある— Have experienced / Sometimes happens

Two uses: (1) [た-form] + ことがある = have the experience of doing something; (2) [dictionary form] + ことがある = it sometimes happens.

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Pro lessonUNIT 28 · GRAMMAR PATTERNS

Structure · 形

[Verb た-form] + ことがある (experience) | [Dict form] + ことがある (sometimes)

Examples · 例文

  • 富士山に登ったことがあります。

    Fujisan ni nobotta koto ga arimasu.

    I have climbed Mt. Fuji (before).

    登った (past) + ことがある = have the experience

  • 仕事で遅くなることがある。

    Shigoto de osoku naru koto ga aru.

    Sometimes I'm late because of work.

    dictionary form 遅くなる + ことがある = it sometimes happens

  • 一度もその映画を見たことがない。

    Ichido mo sono eiga wo mita koto ga nai.

    I have never seen that movie even once.

    見た + ことがない = have never (experience negation)

Usage notes · 注意

  • たことがある (Have you ever...?) is one of the most essential N4 patterns.
  • たことがない = have never.
  • Typical answers: はい、〜たことがあります / いいえ、〜たことがありません.
  • Distinguish from dictionary-form + ことがある = 'it sometimes happens' (frequency).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ことがある is tested against.

vsDictionary form + ことがある

With た-form it means past EXPERIENCE ('have done'); with dictionary form it means OCCASIONAL occurrence ('sometimes happens').

vsた-form + ことがない

The negative of the experience use — 'have never done', not 'never happens'.

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