Have met with 〜た＋ことがある

Grammar Explanation: Previous experience with 〜た＋ことがある

Akari and President Aria walk with Alicia to her meeting location. Rather than head back home, Akari and President Aria decide to sit at the café across the street until the meeting is over. There, Akari notices a gentleman sitting at another table.

灯里(あかり):: 「あのおじさんどこかで会(あ)ったことがあるような？」; “It feels like I have met that man somewhere before.”

Key Points

〜たことがある marks prior experience
- 会(あ)ったことがある means “have had the experience of meeting”.
- With 会(あ)う, it becomes “I have met him before.”
どこかで keeps the memory vague
- どこかで means “somewhere”, which shows Akari cannot place the exact location.
ような softens it into a feeling
- Ending with ような？ makes the line sound like “it seems like…” or “I feel like…”