したことがありますか
shita koto ga arimasu ka
The English phrase 'have you ever' is expressed in Japanese as したことがありますか (shita koto ga arimasu ka).
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone has had a particular experience at any point in their life.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase したことがありますか literally means 'is there an experience of having done [verb]'.
Which one should you use?
While しましたか is used to ask if you performed an action in the past (e.g., 'Did you do it?'), したことがありますか specifically asks about whether the action is part of your life experience ('Have you ever?').
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversation, the polite arimasu ka is replaced with the dictionary form したことがある？ Other informal ways to ask similar questions include 今までにやったことある？ (Have you ever done it before?) and 今まで経験したことある？ (Have you ever experienced it before?).
How does it change in a sentence?
To use this phrase, you must use the past tense (ta-form) of the verb before koto.
How do you pronounce it?
shita koto ga arimasu ka
Did you know?
- Using the experience form したことがありますか with a verb that is usually a state, like 'to be', can be used to ask if someone has ever been to a specific place.
- In Japanese, the word koto in したことがありますか refers to a 'thing' or 'event' in an abstract sense, turning a verb into a noun phrase to describe a life experience.
- Because the phrase uses the verb ある (to exist/to be), asking 'Have you ever?' is structurally similar to asking 'Does an experience exist?' This shifts the focus from the person's action to the existence of the event itself.
Examples in context
- 野球をしたことがありますか。Have you ever played baseball?This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask if someone has played baseball using したことがありますか.Tatoeba #79637 by small_snow, translation #324081 by CK
- 献血をしたことがありますか。Have you ever donated blood?This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask if someone has donated blood using したことがありますか.Tatoeba #1533034 by bunbuku, translation #953293 by CK
- その川でスケートしたことがありますか。Have you ever tried skating on the river?This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask if someone has tried skating on a river using したことがありますか.Tatoeba #208520 by bunbuku, translation #45779 by CK
- あのライドに乗ったことある？Have you ever ridden that roller coaster?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are chatting at a cafe about travel.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんは、パラグライダーをしたことがありますか。Yui-san wa, paraglider o shita koto ga arimasu ka.Yui, have you ever gone paragliding?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、一度もしたことがありません。Iie, ichido mo shita koto ga arimasen.No, I have never done it.
- 健太 Kentaとても楽しそうですよ。Totemo tanoshiso desu yo.It looks like a lot of fun.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは、したことがありますか。Kenta-san wa, shita koto ga arimasu ka.Have you ever done it, Kenta?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
