Breakdown of watasi ha hikouki ni nottakoto ga arimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
destination particle
飛行機hikouki
airplane
乗るnoru
to board
〜たこと が ある〜takoto ga aru
to have done something before
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha hikouki ni nottakoto ga arimasu.
What does the structure 乗ったことがあります mean, and how is it different from just saying 乗りました?
乗ったことがあります literally means “there has been a time I rode,” so it expresses past experience (“I have been on a plane”). 乗りました is simply the past tense (“I rode/boarded a plane” in a definite past event), whereas 乗ったことがあります emphasizes that you have that experience at least once, without specifying when.
How does こと function in 乗ったことがあります?
こと turns the verb phrase 乗った (rode) into a noun-like concept (“having ridden”). Then があります (“there is”) states that such an experience exists. So:
- 乗った = rode (past verb)
- 乗ったこと = the fact/experience of having ridden
- 乗ったことがある = “there is the experience of having ridden” → “to have ridden”
Why is the particle が used after こと, instead of は or を?
In ことがある, が marks the existence of the experience (the “thing” is the experience). It’s similar to saying “There is X” with Xがある. You wouldn’t use を because you’re not directly acting on the experience, nor は because you’re not contrasting topics here.
Why is に used after 飛行機 in 飛行機に乗った?
The verb 乗る (“to ride; to board”) takes に to mark the vehicle or means you board. So 飛行機に乗る = “to board/ride a plane.”
Why is 私は at the beginning? Could I drop it?
私は marks “I” as the topic. In Japanese it’s common to omit the topic if it’s clear from context. So you can just say 飛行機に乗ったことがあります and it’ll still mean “I’ve been on a plane,” assuming it’s clear you’re talking about yourself.
How would I ask someone else if they have this experience?
Turn it into a question by adding か and raising your intonation:
飛行機に乗ったことがありますか。
This literally asks, “Have (you) ever ridden a plane?”
Can I use this pattern with any verb?
Yes. You can attach たことがあります to the past tense of almost any verb to ask or say if you’ve ever done that action. For example:
- 寿司を食べたことがあります。 “I have eaten sushi.”
- 日本へ行ったことがありますか。 “Have you ever been to Japan?”
How would I make the negative, as in “I have never been on a plane”?
Replace あります with its negative ありません:
飛行機に乗ったことがありません。
That means “I have never ridden/been on a plane.”
Is there a more casual way to say 乗ったことがあります?
In conversational Japanese you might drop あります’s polite ending or even contract slightly:
- 飛行機に乗ったことあるよ。
Here あります becomes ある, and you add よ for emphasis.