〜ことがある Have the experience of / Sometimes
Core meaning - Have the experience of / Sometimes
Form - V(dict) + ことがあります; V(dict) + ことがある; V(た) + ことがあります; V(た) + ことがある
Usage - Focus on the highlighted segment in each example; surrounding words can change while the pattern function stays the same.
Use this pattern for its grammatical function, not as a literal word-by-word translation.
See examples below for varied real-world usage.
ことがある = sometimes happens
- 遅刻することがある (I'm sometimes late)
たことがある = have experienced
- 日本に行ったことがある (I've been to Japan)
Different verb forms, different meanings
I have been to Japan.
I have never seen this movie.
The train is sometimes late.
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