Verb たことがある describes having done something before; verb dictionary form plus ことがある describes something that sometimes happens. 日本に行ったことがある reports an experience. 電車が遅れることがある reports occasional delays. The た form marks a prior occurrence, while the nonpast form states that occurrences are possible or recurrent.
also written takotogaaru / kotogaaru / 〜たことがある / 〜ることがある
たことがある — I have done it before, at least once · ことがある — it happens sometimes, from time to time
Sentences
6 sentences, word by word
たことがある · a life experience
polite
。
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富士山
ふじさん
Mount Fuji
place name · 富士 ＋ 山, read さん here rather than やま
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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登った
のぼった
climbed
plain past of 登る · the past form is what makes this experience
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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あります
あります
there is
polite of ある · the experience exists, which is how this is said
たことがあるN4have done it before
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I've climbed Mt Fuji.
ことがある · it happens sometimes
polite
。
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電車
でんしゃ ［0］
train
noun · the subject of the running-late
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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遅れる
おくれる ［0］
runs late
dictionary form of 遅れる · no た, so this is occurrence not experience
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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あります
あります
there is
polite of ある · the event exists from time to time
ことがあるN4it happens sometimes
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The train is sometimes late.
たことがない · never done it
polite
。
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海外
かいがい ［1］
abroad; overseas
noun · 海 sea ＋ 外 outside, the standard word for foreign countries
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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行った
いった
went
plain past of 行く · irregular, and read いった not ゆった
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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ありません
ありません
there is not
polite negative of ある · the experience does not exist
たことがないN4have never done it
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I've never been abroad.
ことがない · it never happens
plain
。
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あの
あの ［0］
that
demonstrative · far from both of you, unlike この or その
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店
みせ ［2］
shop
noun · read みせ, not たな
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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早く
はやく
early
adverbial form of 早い · early in time, not fast in speed
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閉まる
しまる ［2］
closes
dictionary form of 閉まる · intransitive, so the shop closes by itself
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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ない
ない
there is not
plain negative of ある · the occurrence does not exist, so it never happens
ことがないN4it never happens
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That shop never closes early.
ことはある · with a reservation coming
polite
、。
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沖縄
おきなわ ［0］
Okinawa
place name · the southern island prefecture
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に
に
to; at; into
particle · a point something reaches — a place, a time, a person, or a state
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行った
いった
went
plain past of 行く · past form, so this is the experience pattern
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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は
は
(as for that)
particle · swapped in for が, which sets up the coming 'but'
ことはあるN4I have — but…
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あります
あります
there is
polite of ある · conceding the experience before qualifying it
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が
が
but
conjunction · the concessive が, introducing the qualification
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一度
いちど ［3］
once
counter · 一 ＋ 度, one time
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だけ
だけ
only
particle · limiting it to that single time
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です
です
(polite ending)
copula · keeping the register consistent with あります earlier
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I have been to Okinawa, but only once.
たことがある · asking about experience
polite
。
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納豆
なっとう ［3］
natto
noun · fermented soybeans, the standard example for this question
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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食べた
たべた
eaten
plain past of 食べる · past form, so the question is about experience
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こと
こと
the act of; the fact of
noun · turns the verb in front into a noun
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が
が
marks the subject
particle · what the sentence is about — with 好き, 分かる and potentials, the object
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あります
あります
there is
polite of ある · asking whether the experience exists
たことがあるN4have you ever…?
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か
か
(question)
particle · turning it into a question
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Have you ever eaten natto?
Structure
The two shapes
登った / 食べた＋ことがある
登ったことがある. Experience — it happened at least once in your life.
登る / 遅れる＋ことがある
遅れることがある. Occurrence — it happens now and then, and still can.
〜たことがない／〜ることがない
食べたことがない, never eaten it. 遅れることがない, it never runs late. The た keeps deciding which meaning you get.
ことが→ことは / ことも
行ったことはある — I have been, with a “but” coming. The particle swap adds reservation.
Meaning
Why the た does so much work
The た marks a completed event, not a past time. Inside こと it turns the verb into “the fact of having done it”, and saying that fact がある — exists — is how Japanese says you have the experience.
Without the た, the verb stays open.遅れることがある is “the event of running late exists”, which reads as: it happens sometimes. Nothing is completed, so nothing is being reported as experience.
The experience form is usually unnecessary for a specific recent event.昨日寿司を食べたことがある is odd — the pattern normally presents a prior experience rather than simply narrating yesterday. For yesterday, just say 食べました.
The negatives are not mirror images.食べたことがない means you never have. 遅れることがない means it never happens. English uses “never” for both, which is exactly why the pair gets confused.
Watch out
Where these two go wrong
Using the experience form for yesterday
昨日食べたことがあります is odd. The pattern wants something that counts as an experience, not an ordinary recent event — for yesterday, 食べました is the sentence.
Reading ことがない as “I never have”
遅れることがない means it never happens. “I have never been late” is 遅れたことがない. The た is the whole difference.
Dropping the が
The pattern is ことがある, with こと as the subject of ある. Swapping in は or も is fine and adds nuance; dropping it entirely is not.
Using it for something ongoing
日本に住んだことがある reports having lived there at some point; it does not strictly prove you no longer do. 住んでいます explicitly describes your current residence.
Also asked
Questions people ask about たことがある
What exactly does the た change?
It completes the verb. 登ったこと is “the fact of having climbed”, and saying that fact exists reports an experience. 登ること is “the event of climbing”, and saying that exists reports frequency.
Why not just use the past tense?
富士山に登りました reports a specific occasion. 登ったことがあります reports that it is somewhere in your life, without pointing at when — which is what “have you ever” asks.
Is ことがある the same as 時々?
They overlap and are not identical. 時々 states a frequency; ことがある states that the possibility is real. The two are often used together for exactly that reason.
Can I say 行ったことはある?
Yes, and it is a useful move. Swapping が for は concedes the experience and signals a qualification — “I have been, but…”.
