〜たことがある: Talking About Past Experiences
The experience it records
At its core, 〜たことがある is a way of adding something to your life résumé: it says the experience of doing X exists. The literal pieces are た-form verb + こと ("the thing/act of") + が + ある ("exists") — "the experience of doing X exists" — which in natural English becomes "I have done X (before)."
That framing is why it answers "Have you ever…?" rather than "When did you…?". You're reporting whether something has ever happened to you, not pinning it to a date. Add か and you can ask the question straight back.
ヤッタンは日本に行ったことがある。
ヤッタンは にほんに いったことが ある。
Yattan has been to Japan before.
モチは寿司を食べたことがあります。
モチは すしを たべたことが あります。
Mochi has eaten sushi before.
ことがあります is the polite form.
先生に会ったことがありますか。
せんせいに あったことが ありますか。
Have you ever met the teacher?
Add か to ask 'Have you ever…?'
Building it from the past form
The one non-negotiable is where you start: the plain past (た) form of the verb, never the dictionary form. Attach ことがある (plain) or ことがあります (polite) to it.
| Verb (dictionary) | Past (た) form | + ことがある | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 行く (to go) | 行った | 行ったことがある | have been / gone |
| 食べる (to eat) | 食べた | 食べたことがある | have eaten |
| する (to do) | した | したことがある | have done |
| 来る (to come) | 来た | 来たことがある | have come |
Politeness and negation both happen on the ある at the very end — the verb up front stays in its た-form no matter what:
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 〜たことがある | 見たことがある (I've seen it) |
| Polite | 〜たことがあります | 見たことがあります |
| Plain negative | 〜たことがない | 見たことがない (I've never seen it) |
| Polite negative | 〜たことがありません | 見たことがありません |
Saying you've never done something
For "have never," use 〜たことがない (or polite 〜たことがありません). It's common to add 一度も ("not even once") for emphasis:
ヤッタンの弟はまだ学校に行ったことがない。
ヤッタンの おとうとは まだ がっこうに いったことが ない。
Yattan's little brother has never been to school yet.
モチは一度も納豆を食べたことがありません。
モチは いちども なっとうを たべたことが ありません。
Mochi has never eaten natto, not even once.
一度も + negative = not even once.
Experience, not a dated event
This is the distinction learners most need to nail. 〜たことがある talks about whether you have ever had an experience; the plain past (た形) on its own reports a specific, completed event.
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜たことがある | have the experience (at some unspecified time) | 京都に行ったことがある = I have been to Kyoto (before) |
| plain past (た) | a specific event that actually happened | 去年京都に行った = I went to Kyoto last year |
Because 〜たことがある is about general experience, it does not sit well with an exact time. You wouldn't say 昨日寿司を食べたことがある for "I ate sushi yesterday" — that's a single event, so use the plain past: 昨日寿司を食べた.
ヤッタンは富士山に登ったことがある。
ヤッタンは ふじさんに のぼったことが ある。
Yattan has climbed Mt. Fuji before.
Experience — we don't say when.
ヤッタンは先週富士山に登った。
ヤッタンは せんしゅう ふじさんに のぼった。
Yattan climbed Mt. Fuji last week.
A specific event — plain past, not たことがある.
Four ways it slips
The pattern is short, so nearly every error clusters around the same four points:
- Using the dictionary form before ことがある. It must be the past (た) form: 食べたことがある (✓), not 食べることがある (that means something different — "there are times when I eat").
- Pairing it with an exact time. 昨日〜たことがある is unnatural; for a dated, one-time event use the plain past: 昨日食べた.
- Negating the verb instead of ある. "Have never" is 食べたことがない, not 食べなかったことがある.
- Dropping が. The full pattern is ことがある. In casual speech が is sometimes softened, but at N5 keep it: 行ったことがある.
The gist in five lines
- 〜たことがある = have done something before (you have the experience).
- Build it from the past (た) form + ことがある.
- Polite: 〜たことがあります. Negative: 〜たことがない / ありません (have never).
- Add 一度も for "not even once."
- It's about whether you've ever done it — for a specific dated event, use the plain past instead.
Practice it
Choose the correct form of 〜たことがある (experience) vs. the plain past.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
ヤッタンは日本に＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜たことがある mean?
It means you have done something before — you have the experience of it. 日本に行ったことがある = 'I have been to Japan.' It says whether something has ever happened, not when.
How is it different from the plain past tense?
〜たことがある is about general experience at some unspecified time. The plain past (た) reports a specific completed event. 京都に行ったことがある = 'I've been to Kyoto'; 去年京都に行った = 'I went to Kyoto last year.'
How do I say I've never done something?
Use 〜たことがない (or polite 〜たことがありません): 食べたことがない = 'I've never eaten it.' Add 一度も for 'not even once.'
What's the polite form?
Replace ある with あります: 見たことがあります ('I have seen it'), and 見たことがありません for the negative.
Where 〜たことがある fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Past Tense · N5 — The plain past た-form means 'did.' It follows the same sound changes as the て-form (just て→た, で→だ): 食べた, 行った, 飲んだ. Learn it by verb group.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜たり〜たり · N5 — 〜たり〜たり lists representative actions ('doing things like A and B'). Learn the formation from the た-form, the する at the end, and how it differs from plain て-form listing.
Once this clicks, go on to
- 〜から · N5 — から has two everyday jobs: 'because' (giving a reason) and 'from' (a starting point in time or place). Learn how each works, how it differs from ので, with clear examples.
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜てみてください — 〜てみる means to do something and see how it goes (try it out). Add ください for 〜てみてください — a friendly 'please give it a try.' Learn the form, conjugations, and casual 〜てみて.
- 〜と一緒に — 〜と一緒に means doing something 'together with' someone: 家族と一緒に旅行する. Learn the pattern, why と marks the companion, when 一緒に stands alone, and how it differs from plain と.
- 〜と思う — 〜と思う lets you say what you think: [plain form] + と思う. Learn the quotative と, why the clause stays plain, the 〜ようと思う 'I'm thinking of doing' use, and 〜と思っている.
- 〜とき — とき(時) means 'when' in Japanese: attach plain form + とき. Learn noun+の, な-adj+な, plain verbs, and the key 行くとき vs 行ったとき tense difference.
- で — The particle で marks where an action happens, the means or tool you use, the material, the cause, and the scope of a superlative. Learn each use and how で differs from に.
- が — が marks the grammatical subject and introduces new information. Learn how to use が with question words, existence (ある/いる), ability, and likes such as 好き — plus how が differs from は.