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Usages of 〜takoto ga aru
友達 は まだ 飛行機 に 乗ったこと が ありません。tomodati ha mada hikouki ni nottakoto ga arimasen.
My friend has never ridden in an airplane.
私 は 飛行機 に 乗ったこと が あります。watasi ha hikouki ni nottakoto ga arimasu.
I have been on an airplane.
私 は 一人 で 留守番 を したこと が ありません。watasi ha hitori de rusuban wo sitakoto ga arimasen.
I have never stayed home alone to watch the house.
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Questions & Answers about 〜takoto ga aru
How do I form a sentence using the 〜たことがある construction?
To describe an experience you’ve had at least once, take a verb’s short past (ta-) form and add ことがある. For example, 食べる (to eat) → past = 食べた; combine to get 食べたことがある, “I have eaten (it) before.”
Can I use 〜たことがある to talk about habits or repeated actions?
No. 〜たことがある only expresses that an action happened at least once in the past. For habits or “sometimes” you use the dictionary form + ことがある, like 週末は映画を見ることがある (“Sometimes I watch movies on weekends”).
How do I make 〜たことがある negative?
To say you’ve never experienced something, use the verb’s ta-form + ことがない. For example, 行ったことがない means “I’ve never been (there).” Avoid 行かなかったことがある, which sounds like “There was a time I didn’t go.”
How do I ask a question using 〜たことがある?
Attach the question particle か at the end. For instance: 日本へ行ったことがありますか？ means “Have you ever been to Japan?”
Can I specify how many times I’ve done something with 〜たことがある?
Yes, you can insert a frequency or number before 〜ことがある, e.g. 二回日本へ行ったことがある (“I’ve been to Japan twice”). However, if you give exact counts, Japanese often prefers a simple past: 二回行った instead of the experience-focused pattern.
How do I stress “ever” or “never” when using 〜たことがある/ない?
Add time words like 今までに or 一度も:
• 今までに寿司を食べたことがある (“Have you ever eaten sushi until now?”)
• 一度も寿司を食べたことがない (“I’ve never eaten sushi even once.””)
What’s the difference between dictionary form + ことがある and past form + ことがある?
dictionary + ことがある = “there are times when…” (occasional/habitual).
E.g. たまに本を読むことがある (“I sometimes read books”).
past + ことがある = “I have had the experience of…”
E.g. 本を読んだことがある (“I have read that book before”).
Can I use 〜たことがある to talk about future events?
No. It only refers to experiences up to the present. For future plans you’d use other expressions like 〜つもりだ or 予定だ.
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Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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