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JLPT N4Expressions

たことがある— Have Done (Experience)

States that you have (or have never) done something at least once in your life — past experience, not a simple past action. Roughly 'I have (ever) done X'.

Grammar path · 練習

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Pro lessonUNIT 1 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb ta-form] + ことがある / ことがない

Examples · 例文

  • 彼女に嘘をついたことがある。

    Kanojo ni uso o tsuita koto ga aru.

    I have lied to her before.

    嘘をついた (lied, ta-form) + ことがある (there is the experience of ~)

  • 寿司を食べたことがありません。

    Sushi o tabeta koto ga arimasen.

    I have never eaten sushi.

    食べた (ate) + ことがありません — negative erases the experience ('never')

  • 一度だけ京都へ行ったことがある。

    Ichido dake Kyouto e itta koto ga aru.

    I have been to Kyoto just once.

    行った (went, ta-form) + ことがある (have the experience of going)

Usage notes · 注意

  • Use it for notable, rare, or 'have you ever' experiences — not for routine things you just did (you wouldn't say you 'have the experience of' brushing your teeth this morning). • Polite: ことがあります / ことがありません. Plain: ことがある / ことがない.

Commonly confused with

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

vsPlain past (〜た)

〜た states that a specific action happened ('I ate sushi yesterday'); たことがある states you have ever had the experience ('I have eaten sushi (at some point)').

vs〜ことがある (dictionary form + ことがある)

Dictionary-form + ことがある means 'there are times when ~ happens' (occasional habit); the たform version means 'have done before' (past experience).

More expressions

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