Previous experience with 〜た＋ことがある

Grammar: Experience » 〜た＋ことがある

2018年11月25日

Past experience is conveyed by appending ことがある to the past-tense form of a verb. こと turns the phrase before it into a noun.

Alternate Explanations

Someone has done something. Someone has had an experience doing something. There was a time when ~.
In general, Sinf-past ことがある expresses the idea that there was a time when someone or something was in a state or did something.
More specifically, Sinf-past ことがある expresses one’s experience. In this case, Sinf-past ことがある is an extended use of the possession expression “A は　 B が　ある”, where B is a past action rather than a possessed thing. This extended use of the possession expression of experience in Japanese is parallel to that in English. Possession: “I have a car.” Experience: “I have [studied Russian.] (past action)”

Makino, Seiichi and Michio Tsutsui. “Main Entries.” A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times Ltd., 1989, pp. 196–197

The た form of a verb, followed by ことがある, expresses experience: someone has had the experience of doing something or being somewhere.
To express a lack of experience doing something or being somewhere, こと　が/は　ない is used in place of こと　が　ある.

Kamiya, Taeko. “Expressing Ability, Preference, Desire, Intention, Resolution, and Experience.” Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication, Kodansha, 2005, p. 204

Stating Previous Experience (V た　ことがあります)
N は　 V た　ことがあります
N has had the experience of doing V.
This pattern is used to indicate that one has had the experience of doing something, and that something is expressed by a verb in the plain-form past tense before ことがあります (“to have the experience”).

Chino, Naoko. “Basic Pattern 38.” A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns, Kodansha, 2000, p. 228

Examples

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Experience returning home for a backpack with 〜た＋ことがある

Manga panel from ご注文はうさぎですか？ showing example of Previous experience with 〜た＋ことがある. — ご注文はうさぎですか？ » Volume 1 » Page 116

Chiya recalls the time when Syaro had returned home having forgotten her backpack at school.

千夜(ちや):: 「シャロちゃんは学校(がっこう)にランドセルを忘(わす)れたまま帰(かえ)ってきた事(こと)があったわ」; “Sharo-chan once came home having left her backpack at school.”

Experience with sleepovers with 〜た＋ことがある

Cocoa thinks Rize is nervous about staying overnight with her and Chino.

リゼ:: 「いや…　親父(おやじ)の部下(ぶか)に誘(さそ)われたワイルドなキャンプしか経験(けいけん)した事(こと)ないから…」; “Well... I've only had the experience of those wild camping trips my dad's subordinates invited me on...”
ココア:: 「ワイルド？」; “Wild?”